Location: Ramallah, Palestine
Portrait of a Cultural Center
“Though its apparent function is as an exhibition space and visual arts center, Khalil Sakakini has the much broader goal of promoting Palestinian culture by supporting emerging artists and attracting new audiences.”
Housed in a traditional Arab mansion, the home of Khalil Sakakini; Palestinian Christian, educator, scholar, poet, Arab nationalist, and mayor of Ramallah 1947 to1951; this center holds art exhibits, poetry readings, children's activities, and film screenings . Its mission is to reflect the identity of Palestine and Palestinian people. The Palestinian Ministry of Culture owns the building. A short walk from the bus station, we found its beautiful garden and spaces with gorgeous Palestinian floor tiles and high ceilings a relaxing and refreshing change from the hustle and bustle around the bus station and Manara Square.
The staff was preparing for a photographic exhibit of Palestine before 1948: Not Just Memory, displaying work by photographer Khalil Raad (1854 - 1957). We were greeted and toured past cases of photos of the Sakakini family and the office that the poet Mahmoud Darwish, known as the conscience of his people, who would use this room when he was in Ramallah. Established in 1996, the Sakakini Center has had its share of controversy, even once called “a dangerous subversive place” by the Israeli authorities. Like the Freedom Theatre in Jenin, it has been raided in the past but now seems to be a calm and respected institution. A list of its events on its Facebook page tells a lot about what the center does for the community: music in the garden, book reading, film screening, photographic exhibit, contemporary dance performance, and a panel talk.