The Walters Art Museum presents Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt with a special expanded edition of First Thursdays: Make and Mingle. In this unique installment of the monthly adult drop-in program, participants can create a work of art honoring a living being. Guests can also take a curator-led tour and enjoy music by Ishta!, a jazz sextet led by Baltimore-based guitarist, composer, and arranger Ahmed Warshanna. His ensemble features current Peabody students and alumni, including Nathaniel Harrigan, Lucas Netto, Christopher Law, Jake Askarinam, and Aleko Lionikis. The event will take place on October 2, from 6:00-7:30 pm.

Ahmed Warshanna is a Baltimore-based guitarist, composer, and arranger who leads the genre-defying sextet Ishta!, known for its fiery interplay and vivid, impressionistic soundscapes. Described by The Sentinel’s Travis Rogers Jr. as arriving “like a thunderbolt,” Ahmed’s music paints sonic scenes that evoke places, colors, and emotions. Each performance is shaped by the unique chemistry of the band and moment, offering audiences an immersive, ever-evolving experience. Deeply rooted in jazz traditions, Ahmed’s work pushes boundaries while inviting listeners on a journey of imagination and feeling.

Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt highlights the stories behind animal mummification and is on view from September 27, 2025–January 11, 2026.