Dear Friend,

My name is Habibah Sheikh. I am the founder of Mediterranean Fire Enterprise Inc. and the curator of Birds of the Coming Dawn. This exhibition is more than an artistic statement: it is a lifeline.

One of the artists whose work you see before you tonight, Mohamad Al Harb, created his art under siege in Gaza. Every brushstroke he painted was made in the shadow of bombs, displacement, and the daily threat of death. Today, that threat is no longer just an atmosphere; it is an immediate reality.

Mohamad, his wife, and their two young children are now in the face of starvation, bombardment, and disease. Their only hope is to leave Gaza before it is too late. The cost to secure safe passage for his family is high, and time is running out. Without our help, they will not make it.

I need to be honest with you: this is not the moment for a symbolic $20 donation that makes us feel good for a night. This is the moment to give like you are the only thing standing between a family and death. Because tonight, you are.

Here is what I am asking of you:

Give as if Mohamad’s children were your children.

Give knowing your contribution will directly fund his family’s escape.

Give so that when you leave here tonight, you know you didn’t just witness art; you saved the life of the artist.

We often look at art and ask what it means. Tonight, let’s create an answer: Art means we do not turn away from each other.

Please...Every second matters. Your donation will not go into an abstract cause. It will go directly into securing safety for Mohamad, his wife, and their children.

This is the most urgent act of solidarity we can take. Let’s not let this be another story we wish we could have changed.

With urgency and gratitude,

Habibah Sheikh

Founder & Artistic Director

Mediterranean Fire Enterprise Inc.

Curator, Birds of the Coming Dawn