A Call to Our Community

Dearest friends and supporters,

Navigating these uncertain times that we’re all experiencing—though extremely chaotic, frightening and unjust—in many ways is not unfamiliar territory to us. ArteEast was born in the aftermath of September 2001 in NYC, at a time when Arab, Muslim, and Middle Eastern communities were especially—and have increasingly continued to be—marginalized and dehumanized. Through our programs, we passionately strive to bridge divides, challenge misconceptions, and foster a more inclusive and deeper understanding of SWANA communities, engaging with local and national audiences. Our initiatives over the past 21 years have spanned film screenings, performance, artist talks, exhibitions, residencies, publications, and more.

Continuing on our mission’s path is more and more critical with each passing day. While we perhaps grew reliant on receiving federal funding over the years—like many arts organizations, ArteEast’s 2025 federal National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant ($20,000) was recently terminated—we must push forward through these extraordinarily challenging times.

We began as a small but ambitious team composed of creatives from the SWANA region and diasporas, eager to provide access and showcase programming to fellow culture-hungry art-lovers from within and beyond our immediate communities. This ever-expanding network is the heart of ArteEast—not just as our audience, but also as our respected peers, inspirers, motivators, and our core support system. As we continue to grow and realize our ambitious artistic goals sans the nullified annual NEA support, it is imperative we do so with the driving force of our family of devotees behind us.

I greatly appreciate your consideration to join us in taking the next step forward by helping us with a contribution as you are able, and by spreading the word to potential future ArteEast fans by forwarding this email to like-minded friends.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Your commitment is very important to us, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Ginou Choueiri

Executive Director, ArteEast