Contact: James Brennan
South Asian Artists’ Collective
310-259-0646
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --
The South Asian Artists’ Collective, and The Indo-American Cultural
Center (IACC)
Present, Artwallah Third Annual Arts Festival of the South Asian Diaspora
April 26-28, 2002
Los Angeles, CA, April 15, 2003 – Organizers of the third annual
arts festival of the South Asian diaspora announce that ArtWallah 2002
will run from Friday, April 26 through Sunday evening, April 28. ArtWallah,
a unique presentation of art performed, viewed, read, and screened,
showcases artists representing the dispersion of South Asians across
the globe.
With more than 75 artists rooted in the nations of Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, this year’s festival highlights the rich
diversity inherent within the diaspora. ArtWallah will present a range
of theatre, live music, film, visual arts, literature, dance, and spoken
word in a collision of “east meets west.” The interminglings
of traditional longings and experimental stylings captures the physical
movement, as well as the struggles and the celebrations, of the South
Asian diaspora.
The day and evening programming will include all genres of art, displaying
a broad range of geographic, class, gender, and orientation perspectives
and possibilities. The festival opens Friday evening, April 26 at 6pm
with a gala reception in The Village Gallery, followed by a three-hour
extravaganza of performance and film. This evening program will be repeated
at 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday evenings.
From noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the Village complex will
be abuzz with live music, film screenings, artist panels, and a children’s
arts and crafts workshop. Its courtyard will host a colorful bazaar
offering South Asian cuisine, arts, crafts, books, music, fashion and
apparel. A CD listening bar will showcase recordings by participating
artists as well as a rare compilation of South Asian/world music on
the ArtWallah 2002 CD.
“ArtWallah is a place where South Asian artists of many backgrounds
and from across the diaspora come together to voice our quest for community,
our shifting of identities, and the breaking and remaking of our traditions,”
explains festival administrator Shilpa Agarwal. “Loosely translated,
ArtWallah means ‘one who creates art.’ ”
The collaborators of the festival hope that in spotlighting this thriving
and creative population, they are providing a platform of expression
and a channel of communication between South Asian artists, their communities,
and the general public.
Now in its third year, ArtWallah is presented by The South Asian Artists
Collective together and the Indo-American Cultural Center (IACC), in
association with the Cultural Arts Program at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian
Center, and with the support of Washington Mutulal and Sony Pictures
Entertainment. The South Asian Artists Collective, formed in 1999, fosters
solidarity among South Asian artists, encourages artistic development,
and creates platforms for increasing artistic exposure. The IACC, dedicated
to exploring South Asian culture since its inception in 1997, offers
a range of cultural programs including Hindi classes and youth mentorships.
The Cultural Arts Program at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center produces
high caliber theater, music, comedy, and dance in its dual-theater complex;
and presents cutting-edge exhibitions and art lectures in its gallery.
LISTING
ARTWALLAH
THIRD ANNUAL ARTS FESTIVAL OF THE SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORA
April 26-28, 2002
Friday: 6-7 p.m. Gallery Reception; 8-11 p.m. Evening Show
Saturday: Noon-6 p.m. Daytime Programming; 8-11 p.m. Evening Show
Sunday: Noon-5 p.m. Daytime Programming; 7-10 p.m. Evening Show
Admission: Evening Show (includes day-pass) $15 in advance / $20 at
the door
Day-only Pass $5
Tickets go on sale March 29, 2002
Call (323) 860-7300.
Visit www.artwallah.org.
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N. McCadden Place
(One block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.)
Free parking across the street
