Islamic Museum of Australia facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | 15A Anderson Road, Thornbury, Victoria, Australia |
| Type | museum |
The Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA) is a special museum in Thornbury, Melbourne, Australia. It's a place for everyone to learn about the amazing art and history of Muslims, both in Australia and around the world. It started in May 2010 as a non-profit group, aiming to create the very first Islamic museum in Australia.
Contents
The Museum's Story
The Islamic Museum of Australia officially opened its doors on February 28, 2014. It was designed by a Melbourne architecture company called desypher. The museum cost about $10 million to build. The Victorian Government helped by giving a $4 million grant.
The museum was started by Moustafa Fahour and Maysaa Fahour. Moustafa's brother, Ahmed Fahour, and his family also gave $4 million to the museum in early 2014.
Building Design and Location
The museum building has a very unique look. The outside is covered in rusted Corten Steel. This material is meant to remind people of the Australian outback. Inside this outer layer is a white cube with beautiful geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy.
The museum is located near Merri Creek. This area is close to Thornbury and Brunswick East. These are two suburbs in Melbourne known for having many different cultures.
What You Can See at the Museum
The IMA is the first place in Australia to show so many different kinds of Islamic art. You can see architecture, beautiful writing (calligraphy), paintings, glass, ceramics, and textiles. The museum also helps new and well-known Islamic artists from Australia and other countries.
Special Art Exhibitions
The museum has a special gallery for temporary shows. Past exhibitions have included "Mush" by artist Khaled Sabsabi. Another show was "Borderlands," which featured surfboards with Islamic designs by Phillip George.
Permanent Art Collection
The main art gallery has many unique pieces. One famous artwork is a portrait of Waleed Aly, which was a finalist for the Archibald Prize in 2011. The museum was built to share the artistic and historical achievements of Muslims. It focuses on their contributions both internationally and especially in Australia.
Australian Muslim History
The Australian Muslim History gallery tells the stories of different Muslim groups in Australia. You can learn about Afghan cameleers who worked with camels. There are also stories about Malay pearlers and Albanian farmers. The museum even created a book and documentary called Boundless Plains. This project came from a trip in 2011 to find unique Muslim stories in the Australian outback.
Modern Middle Eastern Cafe
The museum also has a cafe called the Modern Middle Eastern Cafe. It is run by Samira El-Khafir. She was a top finalist on the TV show MasterChef Australia in 2013. Samira is Moustafa Fahour's sister.
Support for the Museum
Many groups have helped the Islamic Museum of Australia. Etihad Airways and Habtoor Leighton Group are major partners. The museum's brand design was done by Design 55, a studio from Dubai. The museum's gift shop gets its items from Gallery One in Dubai. This shows a strong connection to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Australian federal government gave $1.5 million to the IMA in 2012-2013. In February 2015, the Saudi Government also gave $1 million. In March 2015, the federal government gave another $500,000. The state government pledged $450,000 for an arts and culture education program. This program is being developed by the IMA.
Australian Muslim Artists (AMA)
The Australian Muslim Artists (AMA) program started in 2018. It is an annual exhibition that shows the work of new and established Australian Muslim artists. AMA also has a list of artists and art professionals. This helps artists connect with each other locally and internationally. Since 2019, the exhibition only includes artworks that have been chosen for the AMA Art Prize. In 2021, the AMA exhibition was available to view online.
AMA Art Prize
The Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize began in 2019. It is an annual art prize hosted by the IMA with La Trobe University. The prize was initially worth $15,000 until 2020. As of 2021, the award is worth $10,000. Any Australian artist whose work is influenced by Islamic art or Muslim identity can enter. The winning artwork becomes part of La Trobe University's art collection.
The partnership with La Trobe University also offers other opportunities. These include training for teachers in Islamic cultures. It also adds a new part to journalism courses. Students can also get work experience through this partnership.
Past Winners of the AMA Art Prize
- 2019: Abdul Abdullah, for an embroidery called You can call me troublesome
- Future Australian Muslim Artists category (for students in years 10–12): Hashim Mohamed
- 2020: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, for Transplants (Euphorbia, Monstera, Sansevieria)
- 2021: Fatima Killeen, for her collagraph print on paper, The Crooked Narrative
- 2023: Rubaba Haider for a thread-like painting, Behind the veil of each night, there is a smiling dawn (Khalil Gibran) IV
See also
- List of Islamic art museums
- Islamic organisations in Australia
