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Events

Lecture | The Luminous Word: Beauty and Brilliance in the “Blue Qur’an”

Date & Time

Sat. May 02, 2026 2:30 PM-3:30 PM
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Location Main Campus | Kinder Building

Parking at Kinder Garage
Drop off at Kinder Building

Email Your Questions [email protected]

Events

Lecture | The Luminous Word: Beauty and Brilliance in the “Blue Qur’an”

Date & Time

Sat. May 02, 2026 2:30 PM-3:30 PM
This event has passed

Location Main Campus | Kinder Building

Parking at Kinder Garage
Drop off at Kinder Building
This lecture, presented in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, and Ismaili Center, Houston, delves into the Blue Qurʾan, an exquisite copy of the Muslim scripture renowned for its indigo-dyed parchment and gold script. A folio on loan from the Aga Khan Museum for the exhibition Sea of Ink, Forest of Pens in the Hossein Afshar Galleries for Art of the Islamic Worlds offers a rare opportunity to explore the enduring mysteries that surround this luminous manuscript, which embodies centuries of devotion, craftsmanship, and global connection.

Tickets

  • This event is included with Museum admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Plan Your Visit

About the Speaker
Michael Chagnon is curator at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, where he has curated numerous acclaimed exhibitions including Rumi: A Visual Journey through the Life and Legacy of a Sufi Poet. Chagnon has previously held curatorial posts at the Brooklyn Museum, LACMA, and Japan Society.

MFAH World Faiths Initiative
This program is part of the MFAH World Faiths Initiative, which seeks to highlight themes of faith, religion, and spirituality in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Focusing on the many expressions of faith in these collections, the initiative honors the diverse communities of Houston and inspires connections among cultures and beliefs.

World Faiths Initiative

Email Your Questions [email protected]

The World Faiths Initiative is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
 
This MFAH lecture is endowed by the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation.
Learning and Interpretation programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, receive generous support from H-E-B; Sempra Foundation; the Brown Foundation, Inc.; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the Joe Barnhart Foundation; the Cockrell Family Fund; the CFP Foundation; the Claire & Theodore Morse Foundation; the Junior League of Houston, Inc.; and additional generous donors.
 
Endowment funds are provided by the Louise Jarrett Moran Bequest; Caroline Wiess Law; Windgate Foundation; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff; the Fondren Foundation; BMC Software, Inc.; the Wallace Foundation; the Neal Myers and Ken Black Children’s Art Fund; the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation; Medha and Shashank Karve; Virginia and Ira Jackson; Jesse H. Jones II; the CFP Foundation; the Favrot Fund; gifts in memory of John Wynne; Neiman Marcus Youth Arts Education; gifts in memory of Peter Lotz; and gifts in honor of Beth Schneider.