Islamic Museum of Australia facts for kids
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| Established | 2010 |
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| Location | 15A Anderson Road, Thornbury, Victoria, Australia |
| Type | museum |
The Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA) is a special museum in Thornbury, Melbourne, Australia. It started in May 2010 as a group that doesn't aim to make a profit. Their goal was to create the very first Islamic museum in Australia.
The museum wants to show off the amazing art and history of Muslims, both in Australia and around the world. They do this by displaying beautiful artworks and old historical items.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Islamic Museum of Australia cost about $10 million to build. It was designed by desypher, an architecture company from Melbourne. The museum officially opened its doors on February 28, 2014.
The Australian government helped by giving a $4 million grant. The Fahour family, especially Moustafa Fahour and his brother Ahmed Fahour, also gave $4 million to help start the museum.
Museum Building and Location
The museum building has a very interesting design. The outside is made of rusted Corten Steel. This material looks like the Australian outback (the dry, wild parts of Australia).
Inside, the building is a white cube covered in cool geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy (beautiful writing). The museum is located near Merri Creek, in an area of Melbourne called Thornbury. This area is known for having many different cultures living together.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Islamic Museum of Australia is the first place in Australia to show so many different types of Islamic art. You can see architecture, calligraphy, paintings, glass art, ceramics, and textiles.
The museum also helps new and well-known Islamic artists from Australia and other countries. The Temporary Gallery has shown special exhibits. These include Mush by Khaled Sabsabi and Borderlands: Islamic design covered surfboards by Phillip George.
The main art gallery has many unique pieces. One famous artwork is a portrait of Waleed Aly that was chosen for the 2011 Archibald Prize. The museum was built to share the artistic and historical achievements of Muslims.
The Australian Muslim History gallery tells stories about different Muslim groups in Australia. You can learn about Afghan cameleers (people who used camels for transport), Malay pearlers (who collected pearls), and Albanian farmers. The museum even made a book and documentary called Boundless Plains about these stories.
The museum also has a Modern Middle Eastern Cafe. It is run by Samira El-Khafir, who was a top finalist on Masterchef Australia 2013.
Supporting the Museum
Many groups help support the Islamic Museum of Australia. Etihad Airways and Habtoor Leighton Group are major partners. The museum's brand design was created by Design 55, a studio from Dubai. The museum's gift shop gets its items from Gallery One in Dubai. This shows that the museum has strong connections with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Australian government has also provided funding. In 2012-13, the federal government gave $1.5 million. In 2015, the Saudi Government gave $1 million. Later that year, the Australian federal government gave $500,000, and the state government gave $450,000 for an arts and culture education program at the museum.
Australian Muslim Artists (AMA) Program
The Australian Muslim Artists (AMA) program started in 2018. It is an annual exhibition that shows the work of both new and experienced Australian Muslim artists. AMA also has a list of artists and art experts to help them connect with each other.
Since 2019, the exhibition only features artworks that have been chosen for the AMA Art Prize. In 2021, you can even see the AMA exhibition online!
AMA Art Prize
The Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize began in 2019. It is an annual art prize hosted by the IMA with help from La Trobe University. The prize money was initially A$15,000 but is now A$10,000 (as of 2021).
Any Australian artist whose work is influenced by Islamic art or Muslim identity can enter the prize. The winning artwork becomes part of La Trobe University's art collection. The partnership with La Trobe University also helps with training for teachers about Islamic cultures and offers learning chances for students.
Past Winners
- 2019: Abdul Abdullah, for his embroidery called You can call me troublesome.
- There's also a special category for young artists (students in years 10–12). The winner in 2019 was Hashim Mohamed.
- 2020: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, for his artwork Transplants (Euphorbia, Monstera, Sansevieria).
- 2021: Fatima Killeen, for her print on paper called The Crooked Narrative.
See also
- Islamic organisations in Australia
