A Houston First

Cutting-Edge Arab Art to be Auctioned Off to Help Refugees

By Catherine D. Anspon // Apr 9, 2016

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Refugee children at their school. (Courtesy UNICEF)

El Seed’s "Love Is the Miracle of Civilization," 2014

Damascus from the "Bon Voyage Series," 2013, by Tamman Azam. (Courtesy the artist)

Four Houston women are doing their part, via UNICEF, for refugee children in the Middle East, and Houston collectors get their first-ever auction featuring cutting-edge art from the Arab world. Be there Saturday, April 30, when chairs Dina Alsowayel, Rania Daniel, and Veronique Prentice join with gallerist Deborah Colton to benefit UNICEF’s educational programs in Lebanon and Jordan.

The evening includes cocktails and bites from La Table, staged in imaginative decor designed by Elizabeth Swift and, above all, important works by contemporary artists from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Palestine, many of whom are garnering auction records at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Adding to the night’s meaning, global entertainment is provided by American Voices, joined by Syrian talents vocalist Radwan Ktesh and violinist Andrey Mukkaddasi; photographer Rania Matar will be present, signing her volume that documents the challenging lives of refugee children.

UNICEF Art Auction, Saturday, April 30, 7 pm, at Deborah Colton Gallery; tickets from $175, contact Lisa Lagrone, 832.463.2421, llagrone@unicef.org