In the days before the October government shutdown, the State Department spent $150,000 on “The Black Arch”, an art installation piece referencing Mecca. … A 2011 press release describes the work as a “profound collaboration between Shadia and Raja Alem. It is very much about a meeting point of the two artists; of two visions of the world; from darkness to light, and of two cities—Makkah (Mecca) and Venice.” … The State Department tells CNSNews.com, “The Black Arch will be installed at the new U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.” “The Black Arch” was one of several artworks that were...