NEW HAVEN, April 21, 2018 (WAFA) – A museum dedicated to Palestinian art and culture is set to open its doors on Sunday, April 22, becoming the first-ever of its kind to open in the United States.

The “Palestinian Museum U.S.” will include artworks, films and other work of art made by Palestinian artists all over the world, in celebration of Palestinian diversity, culture and history.

Faisal Saleh, executive director of Palestine Museum U.S., told reporters that he believes the museum will offer a fuller and more intricate picture of the Palestinian land and people than Americans see in mainstream media.

"There are so many Palestinian artists in Palestine, the West Bank and Gaza, and they have little avenues for exhibiting their work," said Saleh. "This museum will provide a channel for them to get their work out so people can see it and appreciate it."

Saleh, who hails from al-Bireh city in the occupied West Bank, had earlier said that while there are similar Palestinian museums elsewhere, including in Birzeit in the West Bank and Bristol in England, this museum will be the first of its kind in the United States.

“Eventually we can see a larger museum in a major city like Washington, D.C., or New York,” he said.

“We feel that moving the dialogue or the discourse from the political arena to the artistic and cultural arena can be more beneficial and more effective,” he said, adding, “The Palestinians have been dehumanized and portrayed in very negative ways. Our job is to show that Palestinians are human, like everybody else, and they have thousands of artists, they excel in the arts.”

K.T./M.K.