NEW YORK, NY.- At a time when stereotypes and media hype are increasing the ever widening divide between the Middle East and West, THE KEY, the 2016 CARAVAN Exhibition of Art, a strategic East-West art exhibition, has opened at the historic Riverside Church in New York, seeking to change misconceptions and build bridges between cultures and creeds. Designed to grab the imagination, the exhibition seeks to inspire its viewers to realize what is possible and how all play a part in shaping our world into one where understanding and compassion are valued above all.

Organized by CARAVAN, an international peacebuilding arts non-profit, THE KEY uses the world’s most ancient symbol of harmony and pluralism, the Egyptian Ankh (known as the “Key of Life”) as the canvas for a contemporary message of hope for a harmonious, peaceful and tolerant world. THE KEY showcases the work of 40 premier and emerging Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Western contemporary artists using a modern 3D fiberglass portrayal of the Ankh (an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph that read “life”) as a means of engendering harmony and peace among people of different cultural heritages and faith backgrounds.

THE KEY premiered in North America in New York City on the UN International Day of Peace, September 21, at the historic The Riverside Church where it will be showcased through November 6, 2016. Special guest speakers at the VIP opening included:
-Ambassador David Saperstein, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Int'l Religious Freedom
-Ambassador Ahmed Farouk, Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt
-Ambassador (ret) Michelle D. Gavin, Managing Director of The Africa Center
-Renowned Persian Sufi musician Amir Vahab

THE KEY was launched in Cairo, Egypt on the banks of the Nile in March 2016 and was then exhibited in London, England at the beautiful Sir Christopher Wren designed St. James’s Piccadilly, across from the Royal Academy of Arts, from June 15 through August 15.

“With the gap of understanding, trust and relationship between the Middle East and West in many ways wider than ever, like never before ‘creative demonstrations of dialogue and peacebuilding’ are critically needed,” said Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, president of CARAVAN. “Art can help us see someone different than ourselves for whom they really are; that they are actually like us.”

“As a community committed to peace and reconciliation, The Riverside Church is delighted to host THE KEY, an inspiring art installation promoting the dream of peace for the world,” said Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, senior minister of The Riverside Church. “This installation calls us to embrace the dream of peace for all people.” Riverside Church, built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., has been influential on America’s religious and political landscapes for more than 85 years. A stronghold of peace activism over the decades, Riverside Church has long been a forum for important civic and spiritual leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, President Clinton, the Dalai Lama, and countless others.

Co-partnering with CARAVAN on THE KEY exhibition, Ambassador Ahmed Farouk, the Consul General in New York of the Arab Republic of Egypt, commented, “It is clear that the arts are one of the most powerful languages of peace-making among peoples of different religions. This CARAVAN exhibition speaks this language eloquently.”  

THE KEY’s founding sponsor is SODIC, a major real estate firm in Egypt and is co-curated by noted Egyptian artist Dr. Reda Abdel Rahman, who also sculpted the form for the Ankh.

THE KEY runs through November 6, 2016 / Daily 9:00-5:00 p.m. except during scheduled events.