Book Signing & Film Screening with Mandy Shunnarah and Mona Gazala

Join us in the lower gallery of Urban Arts Space for a screening of Mona Gazala’s documentary film, Trail Markers (82 minutes). Part artist autobiography and part historical documentary, this film follows Mona’s move to rural Darke County, Ohio and her discovery of the unlikely existence of a significant artifact related to Palestine’s history, housed in the county museum only a few miles from her new home. What is the artifact, and how did it wind up there? Watch Trail Markers to learn the answers.

Palestinian American writer Mandy Shunnarah (who figures prominently in the film) will be present and signing copies of their new poetry book, We Had Mansions.

This project was supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.

This event is part of Cartography, an exhibition at Urban Arts Space on view from July 22–August 16. The artists in this exhibition, whether Palestinian, Kashmiri, or Afro-Caribbean, embark on similar missions to map out their personal relationships with ancestral and migratory lands. Their art gives voice to stories of imperialism, racism, and occupation, while also exploring new vistas of identity, connection and resilience.

Participating Artists: Hala Abubaker, Michael Hambouz, Ray Perez, Numair Qadri, Tabeena Wani, and Mona Gazala