New York City, NY, February 5, 2008 -- In its third successful year as an organization devoted to providing a platform for Persian artists and visionaries, Persian Arts Festival (PAF) has joined forces with the Queens Museum of Art (QMA) to present a groundbreaking exhibition, Weaving the Common Thread, that investigates how contemporary Persian art has been influenced and inspired by the post-revolutionary Iranian Diaspora. Curated by Persian Arts Festival Art Director Pooneh Maghazehe, this collection showcases more than 20 pieces from eight emerging Iranian artists, on view February 24 to March 16 at QMA. A special reception will be held on March 15 from 5 to 9pm, featuring an artist and curatorial talk followed by a Persian New Year (Norooz) celebration with musical soundscapes by DJ Payam and a series of short films, courtesy of ArteEast.

The impact of the Persian Arts Festival within the Persian community was officially recognized with Mayor Bloomberg's proclamation of March 19, 2006 as "Persian Norooz Day." PAF is proud to continue its tradition of celebrating Iran's rich culture through the arts. Acclaimed by the New York Times as "creating original paintings that are at once engaging and affecting," Samira Abbassy recites internal narratives through mythology and the human body. Negar Ahkami cleverly employs the age-old method of Persian miniature painting as a platform to articulate her "cultural baggage" and to synthesize whimsical narratives that allude to modern day Iran. Similarly, Los Angeles-based artist Arien Valizadeh redefines Persian figurative painting to offer commentary on global societal dynamics. Identity and notions of borders in the work of Sara Rahbar's modified flags breathe new life into textiles created during different eras in Iran, creating overlapping historical timelines. Ali Banisadr depicts death and isolation while simultaneously describing refuge and hope in his grandiose paintings. Khosro Berahmandi's work is rich with fantastic detail and complex dimensions. Pooneh Maghazehe crafts a new context in formal Islamic pattern and grapples with spiritual assimilation, while Anahita Vossoughi's paintings depict a galactic wonderland that recalls Persian mysticism.

QMA is located at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens and is open Wednesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday & Sunday 12pm-5pm. #7 Flushing IRT. Exit Willets Point/Shea Stadium and follow the yellow signs on a tenminute walk through the park to the museum, which is located next to the Unisphere.

Persian Arts Festival is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to showcasing the magnificence and diversity of Persian art and culture through its voices, artists and visionaries. PAF provides a truly unique opportunity for local and global communities to gather and explore one of the worlds most ancient and rich civilizations. Persian Arts Festival is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Support provided by New York Foundation for the Arts, Independence Community Foundation, New York Department of Cultural Affairs and ArteEast. Learn more at www.persianartsfestival.org.

The Queens Museum of Art was established in 1972 to provide a vital cultural center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the borough's unique, international population. Today it is home to the Panorama of the City of New York, a 9,335 square foot scale model of the five boroughs, and features temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art that reflect the cultural diversity of Queens, as well as a collection of Tiffany glass from the Neustadt Museum of Tiffany Art. The Museum provides valuable educational outreach through a number of programs geared toward schoolchildren, teens, families, seniors and individuals with physical and mental disabilities.