OUR STORY

Founded in 1992

The Palestinian Culture Center was established in Jordan by a team of dedicated women who had been volunteering in the General Union of Palestinian Women Kuwait branch. The Center began hosting exhibitions in Kuwait in 1993, where they held small exhibitions/salons, in the house of the heritage official. Gradually, they moved onto exhibitions with non-governmental associations such as the Sociologists Association, the Women’s Cultural Association, the Red Crescent and Alumni, Boushahri Art Gallery, Darat al Funun, Bayt Sadu and Bayt Loudan.

EXHIBITIONS AND HERITAGE ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTER

Palestinian embroidery using needle and silk thread is a manifestation of the Palestinian identity as it has evolved over the ages. An age-old art, all Palestinian ladies, young and old, would spend hours embroidering their trousseau, dresses, shawls and cushions. Using geometric shapes at first, and then evolving to depicting images from nature surrounding them, the dresses are famous for their flowery designs and bold natural colors of indigo and red. Symbols of the ubiquitous cypress trees surrounding the orange groves, roses, jasmine and the famous olive tree are typical motifs in these dresses.

The GUPW had been creating beautiful pieces to help achieve three goals: 

- Preserve the rich heritage and culture of Palestine

- Help empower women and their families in the refugee camps to become financially independent

- Sustain disadvantaged Palestinians in their homeland and in the Diaspora

We currently hold two exhibitions each year, hosted by the supporters above, and further activities are listed:

  • Heritage exhibition in Abu Dhabi in 1999
  • Heritage and Fashion Show - Sharjah and Abu Dhabi - 2000
  • Our participation in the Oman International Exhibition in 2001
  • Heritage exhibition and Ramadan evening in Tunisia in 2003 to support Jenin camp after the heinous massacre that this camp was subjected to in 2002 at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces
  • At the invitation of the Chilean Embassy in Jordan, we held a small exhibition at the home of His Excellency the Ambassador in 2004
  • Exhibitions in Melbourne and Adelaide / Australia in 2005 at the invitation of the Australian Women's Association to support the Palestinian people
  • An evening to display the Palestinian folk fashion in Amman 2009
  • Since 2010, the Center has started holding an annual exhibition in Amman - Jordan, in the Construction Syndicate Hall and hosted by them
  • A heritage evening in Kuwait 2012 in support of Al-Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem in cooperation with the Social and Cultural Association