ARC’s Executive Director Julie Trébault recently met with Palestinian poet Doha Kahlout @doha_kahlout, now living in France after she received support through the PAUSE program.

This initiative of the French state supports scientists and artists in exile by facilitating their placement at higher education and cultural institutions across France, while also advocating for academic and artistic freedom.

Doha is being sponsored by École nationale supérieure d’arts de Paris-Clergy @ensapc and Columbia University in Paris @columbiainparis

We are so happy to have met Doha, and are immensely grateful that she can continue to create in safety.

@peninternational @bardcollege @maanforgaza ...

ARC is honored to receive The Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts @warholfoundation—a meaningful affirmation of our global mission to defend artistic freedom and support artists and cultural workers under threat.

As authoritarianism, protracted conflict, and repression continue to endanger creative voices, this recognition helps us continue expanding our reach and deepening our impact. Thank you for standing with artists at risk and ARC!

Read our full press release: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/arc-news/arc-honored-as-andy-warhol-foundation-2025-grantee-and-award-recipient/ ...

“Painting is my calling, and though the journey may not be smooth, it doesn`t deter me from this pursuit. I`ve embraced all the hardships and challenges of being a painter to protect my art. I believe it`s one of the few things that anchors me in this world, like seeing the sun every morning.”

As Iran`s artist and activist communities face mounting pressures, ARC looks back at an Iranian artist who we interviewed for one of our artist stories:

Faezeh Zandieh @faezehzandieh is a printmaker and painter from Tehran, Iran. After witnessing a violent confrontation between men on the streets of Tehran in 2020, Faezeh began to explore the concept of masculinity and identity in her work. Her prints and paintings grapple with Iran’s patriarchal culture and the societal forces that push men toward violence.

During the Women, Life, Freedom protests, a gallery showing Faezeh’s work was censored by Iranian intelligence forces. Shortly thereafter, Faezeh received an opportunity to relocate to France. With residences and support from @urdla and @fondationbullukian, Faezeh has been able to build her life abroad and expand her artistic practice.

Learn more about Faezeh and her work: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/story/faezeh-zandieh

Artwork courtesy of the artist: Untitled; 2025; Oil on canvas.

#WomenLifeFreedom ...

“There are few words left to adequately condemn in its totality the depravity of the Israeli government’s attacks and campaign of erasure against the Palestinian people, its art, culture, land, and memory.” — ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault.

On June 30, 2025, a series of Israeli strikes killed over 70 Palestinians, among them two artists, visual artist Amna Al-Salmi and filmmaker Ismail Abu Hatab. Amna and Ismail were among at least 30 killed in a strike on the Al-Baqa Cafe in Gaza City, one of the few remaining spaces in Gaza with stable electricity and internet access. It was a refuge and meeting place for artists, journalists, and activists.

ARC unequivocally condemns the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians by Israel, erasing artistic, cultural, and activist voices, and we call on the Israeli government to cease strikes and re-commit to a permanent ceasefire. Moreover, ARC implores the international community to ensure accountability and justice for Israel’s actions.

Read our full statement: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/statement/arc-condemns-israel-strikes-killing-dozens-including-two-artists/

@penamerica @peninternational ...

📢 ARC in The New York Times @nytimes 📰

Significant cuts by the current U.S. administration to the General Services Administration (GSA) have jeopardized the preservation of artistic and cultural heritage as a beleaguered workforce attempts to maintain and safeguard the 26,000+ works in the federal art collection.

ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with The New York Times for a written piece by Lydia DePillis, Graham Bowley, and Robin Pogrebin @rpogrebin that highlights how these staff cuts pose serious questions for the tracking, up-keep, and protecting of more than a century of American art in cultural institutions and federal buildings across the nation.

🔹 We`re grateful to journalists spotlighting these issues and amplifying our message.

Read the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/arts/trump-cuts-leave-few-caretakers-for-a-massive-federal-art-collection.html

#artisticfreedom #artistsatrisk #freeexpression ...

🇵🇸 “Visual projects are a transfer of the lives of the audience and their stories by using art to transform destruction and devastation into love, hope, and life,” shared the multidisciplinary Palestinian artist Shareef Sarhan @shareef_sarhan with ARC.

In 2003, Shareef founded the collective Windows from Gaza, amplifying Palestinian voices when they were largely isolated from the rest of the world. Throughout Shareef’s decades-long career, he has centered his creative approach on preserving memories and communicating the experiences of the Palestinian people to global audiences.

Since October 7, 2023, over 7,000 pieces of Shareef’s artwork have been destroyed. Despite this, Shareef is rebuilding previous projects and creating new works. At the heart of all his artistic oeuvre is the faith that his works will be remembered for the hope they imbued and the memories they held.

Join ARC in celebrating Shareef’s artistry and activism, and read his full artist story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/shareef-sarhan/ ...