Sharq was founded in 2004 as an educational art space devoted to informing and entertaining the public with the works of bicultural Americans.
Sharq (the East) was founded in 2004 by Nahid Massoud, a native of Afghanistan who lived in several countries of the Middle East before coming to the USA to study at the University of Nebraska. Over the years, Sharq has exhibited the creations of a great diversity of artists, writers, film makers, and musicians who were born or have lived extensively in such countries as Afghanistan, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Mauritania, as well as the works of Americans who have been longtime residents in the world of Sharq. Sharq operates under the auspices of the Somerset Foundation, a 501c3 Arts Organization based in Santa Monica.
