October 19 – October 26
MODERN MIRAGE: WOMEN & CONTEMPORARY ART IN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
A Journey Through the Canvas of Innovation and Tradition
October 19-26, 2024
Optional Agafay Desert Resort postlude, October 26–29, 2024 | See details below
ArtTable members and friends are invited on an unforgettable six-night adventure in and around Marrakech, highlighting traditional and innovative art forms that showcase the beauty of Moroccan culture. Within the city limits, we will get an up-close view of the work of local artisans, visit the Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Bergé house and Majorelle Garden, and the historic Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the old city. Then, journeying outside the storied “Red City” to the Atlas Mountains and Agafay Desert, we will experience authentic regional cuisine, witness stunning natural beauty, and conclude our journey with an intimate celebration under the stars.
Please view this brochure for more details on this extraordinary tour brochure.
Like ArtTable itself, each stop on our journey will be led by women and nonbinary people working in the visual arts. As we set out each day from our home base at the Mövenpick Hotel Mansour EddahbiI, we will immerse ourselves in the city’s rich creative atmosphere, visiting artisans’ studios, contemporary galleries, private collections, and famous souks. In the Artisan’s Quarter in Marrakech’s historic Medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, we will get an expert perspective on how artisanal and scholarly knowledge are combined to protect Marrakech’s unique cultural heritage.
On a private guided tour of the Musée Yves Saint Laurent and Majorelle Garden, we will learn how the designer—whose creations supported women’s empowerment and self-exploration—and his partner Pierre Bergé championed the preservation of their adopted home city. Additional stops on the itinerary include immersion in Berber cuisine on a trip to the Atlas Mountains and, finally, a gathering in the Agafay Desert, where we will experience a classical Moroccan dance performance and share a celebratory meal together.
Join us on this unforgettable exploration of the beauty of Morocco, both handmade and natural.
Arrangements Abroad, Tour Curator
Arrangements Abroad has been a leader in educational travel since 1977, designing bespoke itineraries offering rich cultural experiences to our travelers wherever they go. This program is created in collaboration with ArtTable, creating a special experience for ArtTable’s community of 44 years.
Pricing
ArtTable Members**
Total Price of Tour (double occupancy) = $8,999 | Total Price of Tour (single occupancy) = $9,999
Cost of Travel + Required ArtTable Donation ($825)*
**For members, you need to be logged in to see the $825 pricing to register
Non-Members
Total Price of Tour (double occupancy) = $9,724 | Total Price of Tour (single occupancy) = $11,224
Cost of Travel + Required ArtTable Donation ($1225)*
To register for this event, you must sign up through ArtTable’s website. Once your donation is received, you will hear from our representative at Arrangements Abroad for total tour payments, recommended flights, and additional tour information. We look forward to traveling with you!
OPTIONAL AGAFAY DESERT RESORT POSTLUDE
October 26–29, 2024
Extend your tour by traveling just outside of Marrakech to experience a three-night luxury glamping experience in a tent outfitted with modern amenities, a private ensuite bathroom, and a terrace. Onsite at the resort, enjoy views of the surrounding mountains while relaxing in the pool, delight in local cuisine, and treat yourself to hammam and spa treatments. When adventure calls, you can take a camelback tour of the desert landscape or embark on a sunrise hot-air balloon flight.
Pricing
Total price (double occupancy) = $2,999 per person
Total price (single occupancy) = $3,599
View the brochure for additional details
Postlude reservations can be made with Arrangements Abroad directly once your intitial registration is confirmed by ArtTable.
Catherine Hannah Behrend (Cathie) is the Founder of VenturesinVision, providing customized public art tours in the boroughs for the 92Y, the patrons of WNET/PBS, other not- for-profit organizations and private clients. Cathie has just completed working for 14 years as an Adjunct Instructor at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Graduate Program in the Art Market and NYU’s Center for Applied Liberal Arts. Cathie has Master Degrees in Art and Business Administration from NYU. She also studied international business at INSEAD. She wrote her M.A. Thesis on Christo and her M.B.A Thesis on Decentralizing City Park Operations. Cathie is a longstanding Board member of the 92nd Street YMCA , the Financial Women’s Association of New York and the Simmons College Leadership Council, amongst others. Cathie also completed a three year term as Co-Chairperson of Programming for ArtTable. She founded the still on-going Simmons College New York City Art Administration Summer Institute in 2002. Cathie served under six NYC Mayoral administrations prior to her transition to teaching and tours with positions ranging from managing street and park festivals, to leading the economic development efforts to keep and attract Fortune 500 and global financial companies to NYC. She was appointed to the Mayor’s Council on New Media established to foster synergy between arts organizations and Internet companies and managed the annual Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology. She also represented Cultural Affairs on the Mayor’s Committee on Graffiti. Her last city government position was Deputy Director of the Percent for Art Program in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs from 1995-2007. Percent for Art mandates that one percent of the construction budget of city-eligible capital projects must be spent on the integration of art into architecture. During her tenure, 125 projects were initiated or completed – many with world renown artists. Her biggest inspiration was working in the Education Dept at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as an intern.
Sonia Romero is a Los Angeles-based artist known for her paper-cut and printmaking aesthetics, which she incorporates into both her fine art and public art commissions. Born in 1980, she grew up in an artistic household in Echo Park before formally studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. After returning to California, she began working as a public artist. Romero was the artist in residence at Avenue 50 Studio in Northeast Los Angeles from 2007-2014.
Blanka Amezkua is formally trained as a painter; she attended the Accademia di belle Arti in Florence, Italy and received her B.A. from California State University Fresno. Her work and projects have been shown in the United States, Mexico, Belgium and Greece. In cultural establishments such as: MoMA-P.S.1, Exit Art, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, El Museo del Barrio, Queens Museum of Art, Towson University, Dorsky Gallery, The Taller Boricua, The Block Gallery among others. You can read more about Blanka’s work and projects on her 
Dahlia Elsayed is an artist and writer who makes text and image based work that synthesizes an internal and external experience of place, connecting the ephemeral to the concrete. She writes short fictions for created landscapes that take the form of narrative paintings, print and installation. Her work has been exhibited at galleries and institutions throughout the United States and internationally, including the 12th Cairo Biennale, Robert Miller Gallery, BravinLee Programs, The New Jersey State Museum and Aljira Center for Contemporary Art. Her work is in the public collections of the Newark Museum, the Zimmerli Museum, Johnson & Johnson Corporation, the US Department of State, amongst others. Dahlia has received awards from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Edward Albee Foundation, Visual Studies Workshop, the MacDowell Colony, Women’s Studio Workshop, Headlands Center for the Arts, and the NJ State Council on the Arts. She received her MFA from Columbia University, and lives and works in New Jersey. Ms. Elsayed is Professor of Humanities at CUNY LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, NY. You can view more of her work on her 
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in the United States, is nationally recognized for her monumental installations that transform everyday objects into elegant expressions of identity and community engagement. For each project, she amasses vast collections of a particular object—prescription pill bottles, sports trophies, sweaters—which are often sourced through donations from individuals in a participating community. These intimate objects then become the materials for her conceptually rich sculptures, videos, and site-specific installations. Distinguished by her meticulous, labor-intensive process, and her engagement of community, Shin’s arresting installations reflect individuals’ personal lives as well as collective issues that we face as a society.