America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far

Please Touch Museum’s America to Zanzibar will offer an imaginative platform for young children and their families to learn about modern and historic Muslim communities across Philadelphia and the world. Building on a framework developed by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Philadelphia exhibition will combine art, technology, performance, and interactive programming. Exhibition components will include immersive 3D environments of Middle Eastern architecture and mosques, historic artifacts, newly commissioned artwork created by Philadelphia-based Muslim artists, as well as personal stories and home objects from local Muslim families. A mobile app will introduce visitors to languages of the Muslim world and teach them to write letters in a new language. As the first project under the museum’s new initiative to address contemporary social issues and represent Philadelphia’s culturally diverse populations, America to Zanzibar will foster dialogue around diversity and acceptance, and serve as the basis for future exhibition development.

Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.