Middle Eastern Arts and Cultural Center (MEI)

The center facilitates cross-cultural understanding through exhibitions and cultural programming, including panel talks, film screenings, readings and performances that underscore the role of the arts in the Middle East. Founded in September 2019, the MEI Art Gallery serves as the Center’s anchor. It promotes the work of Middle Eastern artists by exhibiting socially engaged art from the region and serves as a platform for diverse communities to begin a cross cultural dialogue around the power of the arts to transcend difference and to drive social change globally. Our gallery is Washington D.C. ‘s only space dedicated to contemporary and modern art from the Middle East. 

The Middle East Institute was founded in 1946 to promote knowledge and understanding of the region among U.S. citizens and to advance ties between the peoples of the two regions. Alongside our Arts and Culture Center, MEI also houses a Policy Institute, a source for non-partisan expert analysis seeking solutions to the region’s most challenging issues, and an Education Center, offering classes, academic resources, and professional development services to foster regional understanding. Our centers reflect our dedication to promoting understanding of the region through a wider lens.