--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--
One of the Most Highly Anticipated Festivals Returns to Los Angeles:
ARTWALLAH
Fourth Annual Festival of the South Asian Diaspora
JUNE 2, 2003, LOS ANGELES – Organizers are gearing up for ArtWallah
2003, scheduled for Thursday through Sunday evening, June 26-29 at The
Village arts and culture complex in Los Angeles. For the fourth year
in a row, ArtWallah exhibits the collision of “east meets west”
in a festival showcasing dance, film, literature, music, theater, visual
arts and spoken word. This year’s festival is expected to draw
over 1,700 attendees, marking ArtWallah growth and outreach into its
own as well as non-South Asian communities alike.
Over 80 established and emerging artists will be presenting their works
from the U.S., Canada and England. The record number of artists submitting
from across the globe attests to ArtWallah’s success and necessity
as an artistic platform; while the festival’s three-year track
record of sold-out performances reveals its strong appreciation and
support from new and returning audiences. The exhibited and performed
art reflects the dispersion of South Asians worldwide and spotlights
the resultant intermingling of eastern traditions, thoughts and influences
arising from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka, with western ones. The exploration of cultures merging,
repelling, and standing alongside each other is at the heart of the
four-day event. ArtWallah brings South Asian diasporic arts to life
and is one of the only festivals of its kind in the country.
Recently, this same sort of artistic fusion has piqued the interest
of mainstream audiences. The growing appeal is evident in all forms
of media, including cinema and radio music. The coming-of-age film “Bend
it Like Beckham” delves into a dual-culture reality involving
not only the parent-child generational gap but a cultural one as well.
Rap-sensation Jay-Z’s collaboration with Panjabi MC for a remix
of “Beware of the Boys” brought bhangra beats and lyrics
into radio play in a role beyond just sampling. It is this dynamic interplay
of east and west that can be expected at ArtWallah 2003. Art may dabble
in popular Indian exports such as Bollywood, but it will also stretch
beyond them to encompass largely underrepresented themes. The commoditization
of South Asian culture in America, Muslim perspectives on self in the
larger societal construct and comedic mockeries of stereotypes, are
a few. There is so much more waiting to be explored and ArtWallah is
a venue where artists can speak to their communities about life, struggles
and celebrations through artistic vehicles of expression.
Day and evening programs will encompass all forms of art spanning a
range of themes, including geography, class, gender and orientation.
The festival kicks off on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. with a show highlighting
Los Angeles-based artists. Friday evening begins at 6 p.m. with a gala
reception in The Advocate Gallery featuring visual artists and live
deejay music. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings wrap up with a three-hour
extravaganza of performance and film at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. on Sunday). Saturday
and Sunday daytime programs include outdoor concerts, film screenings,
literature readings, gallery tours, panel discussions, and theater and
dance performances beginning at noon.
Programming Coordinator, Sammy Chand describes this year’s line-up
as, “eclectic, outspoken and highly entertaining.” The programs
are packed tight with talent, which will provide visitors an entire
weekend’s worth of exceptional entertainment. The festival highlights
to follow are a brief preview of the diversity of artists and works.
The world-premiere of “House”, an interdisciplinary arts
performance will debut at Thursday’s opening event. “House”
weaves theater, dance, music, video and visual design into a captivating
35-minute piece about a family’s cultural identity rediscovered
after selling their home. Comedian Vijai Nathan’s energetic, witty
dialogue will set the tone as the evening show emcee; her hilarious
one-woman show, “Girls Don’t, But Indian Girls Do,”
described as “Gandhi meets Pretty in Pink,” will be featured
in the daytime program. Visual artist, Annu Matthew’s “Backlash
in the Wake of 9-11” confronts racial profiling and discrimination
using eyes and fingerprints as metaphors for identity and objects of
categorization. The sensuous yet powerfully political words of poet
Pireeni Sundaralingam accompanied by husband and violinist Colm O’Riain
will entrance audiences. Choreographer Janet Roston’s “Tanjore
Project” juxtaposes modern dance over classical Bharat Natyam
to the music of Talvin Singh. It’s not easy to make a movie audience
give a damn about a dam, but Aradhana Seth’s documentary does
just that. “Dam/Age” chronicles writer Arundhati Roy’s
protests against the Narmada Dam, one of the most controversial government
projects in recent Indian history. From Himalayan Project’s message-driven
hip hop to Sympatiko’s blending of Native American, Brazilian,
and South Asian musical stylings to Karma Sutra’s South Asian
downtempo electronica, the music performances alone cover a spectrum
of influences and genres that any audience member would enjoy.
In ArtWallah tradition, organizers invite the public and media to the
official launch party on June 5 at 9:00 p.m. at Club Lush in Santa Monica.
The celebration marks the first day of ticket sales and gets audiences
hyped up for the upcoming festival with a flavor of what’s to
come. A fusion of live musical performances – alternative rock,
hip hop, bhangra, jazz and blues vocals, deejay music and positive vibes
will color the evening. For additional information, visit www.artwallah.org
or email info@artwallah.org.
ABOUT ARTWALLAH
ArtWallah is an annual festival of arts showcasing expressions of the
South Asian diasporic experience through dance, film, literature, music,
spoken word, theater, and visual arts. ArtWallah is presented by the
South Asian Artists’ Collective (SAART) together with the Indo-American
Cultural Center (IACC). SAART, formed in 1999, fosters solidarity and
collaboration among South Asian artists to encourage their artistic
development, while also creating platforms for increasing their exposure.
Since its inception in 1997, the IACC has been dedicated to exploring
South Asian culture offering a range of cultural programs, including
Hindi classes and youth mentorships.
ABOUT LAGLC’S VILLAGE ARTS AND CULTURAL COMPLEX
The Cultural Arts Program at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s
Village at Ed Gould Plaza is the host to the ArtWallah Festival for
the second year in a row. It produces high caliber theater, music, comedy
and dance in the dual-theater complex and presents cutting-edge exhibitions
and art lectures in its gallery.
PRESS CONTACT
Natasha Alim (310) 428-6414
ArtWallah Steering Committee press@artwallah.org
CALENDAR LISTING
ARTWALLAH
FOURTH ANNUAL ARTS FESTIVAL OF THE SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORA
June 26-29, 2003
FESTIVAL KICK-OFF: Highlighting Los Angeles Artists
Thursday: 8-11 p.m.
$15 general admission, $10 student admission (w/ valid ID)
GALLERY RECEPTION:
Friday: 6-8 p.m.
Free to the public
EVENING SHOWS:
Friday, Saturday: 8-11 p.m.; Sunday: 7-10 p.m.
$20 in advance, $25 at the door
DAYTIME PROGRAMS:
Saturday: noon-7 p.m.; Sunday: noon-6 p.m.
$5 suggested donation
For more info, visit www.artwallah.org or email info@artwallah.org
Tickets go on sale June 5, 2003
Call (323) 860-7300 or visit the Village box office
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
1125 N. McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(One block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.)
Free parking lot across the street and street parking
