Music for the Eyes: An Artistic and Spiritual Retreat in New Mexico

Arabic calligraphy as practiced around the world transcends the simple act of writing. As one early writer said of calligraphy, “If it was a flower, it would be a rose, if a metal, gold.” Another said, “The pen is the ambassador of intelligence, the messenger of thought, and interpreter for the mind.” This spiritual and artistic practice imbues the written word with life and beauty, so both the calligrapher and viewer alike may begin to embody the words and letters, their expression, and ultimately their meanings.

What earlier appreciation for this practice has failed to fully embrace is that all throughout the world the richness of Islamic calligraphy has flourished, in different regions that are both at the center and the periphery of Islam, with different schools finding their roots in the spirituality and the unique practice of Islam in each region. Today the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts and the West African Calligraphy Institute invite you to discover the diversity of the calligraphic form, to learn from practitioners, both of traditional schools and those at the frontiers of Islam, and to join a growing community of people who seek to increase human understanding and compassion through artistic expression. If, in the words of the American calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya,“calligraphy is music for the eyes,” then we invite you to join us this October in Abiquiu, New Mexico for a beautiful symphony.

This retreat will begin on Thursday October 2 and end Monday October 6 at 5pm.

For more information, visit: musicfortheyes.com

Also check out other Arts events in Abiquiu, Fine Arts events in Abiquiu, Literary Art events in Abiquiu.