Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Sari Khoury (1941-1997) was a Palestinian-American abstract expressionist artist who largely used acrylic, oil, and charcoal in his works. He was born Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine. After the Nakba, his family became refugees and he spent the remainder of his time in Palestine in Bir Zeit. At age 17, he immigrated to the United States with a fine arts scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. In 1965, he then earned a Master of Fine Arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Detroit.
Khoury taught as a professor of art at Berea College in Kentucky and at Central Michigan University in Michigan.
His artwork encompasses various elements of his cultural roots, such as Arab writing, Islamic design, and Byzantine motifs. Khoury exhibited his pieces across the US and internationally, including in Germany, Japan, and Sweden.
Exhibitions include fifteen solo exhibits (some posthumous) and over forty group exhibits. Khoury participated in an exhibit titled It is Possible in 1988, invited due to his dedication for a dignified and equitable solution in Palestine.
Sari was commissioned by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social services to paint a mural illustrating Arab-American life in 1987.
In 1992, Sari received an award for his contributions to the arts in Wayne Country, Michigan. He was also invited to participate in an Arab-American Artists series at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1995. In 2008, the Arab American National Museum honored him with a retrospective. Today, many of his archived materials are held at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan.