The Wayne State Anthropology Museum, in partnership with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), will open a new exhibition highlighting the diverse cultural traditions and heritage of the Arab-American community on Monday, Feb. 24.

Dr. Tamara Bray, director of Wayne's Museum of Anthropology said, "We are grateful to ACCESS for their materials and expertise. We have a number of objects that tell the story of important Arab-American traditions through beautiful dresses, hand-carved musical instruments, intricate jewelry and symbolic headpieces."

ACCESS is a Dearborn-based, human-services organization committed to the economic and cultural development of the Arab-American community.

"We are pleased to work with Wayne State University to highlight our collection in the heart of Detroit's cultural center, and to be able to share our heritage and traditions with the academic and metropolitan community, that is home to so many diverse cultures," said Anan Ameri, director of the cultural arts program of ACCESS.

The Wayne State University Museum of Anthropology, established in 1958,promotes understanding of cultural diversity at both the global and local levels. It offers permanent exhibits on all aspects of anthropology, and changing in-depth exhibits on specific aspects of many cultures. The museum has a collection of over 500,000 objects of archaeological and cultural materials. The majority of the holdings pertain to North America, with an emphasis on Michigan.

The museum is located on the first floor of Wayne State's Old Main building on the southwest corner of Warren and Cass Avenues in Detroit. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and museum hours are Monday-Friday, 10 am - 4:30 pm. For more information about the exhibit, contact Ann Rock at (313) 577-2598.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 350academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.