--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--
EXPLORE THE DIVERSITY THAT IS ARTWALLAH 2005: Sixth Annual Arts Festival of the South Asian Diaspora
JUNE 13, 2005, LOS ANGELES – Welcome to the 2005 ArtWallah Festival, the premier summer South Asian diasporic arts event, featuring the works of over 80 artists over the course of four days starting on Thursday, July 7 th and running through Sunday, July 10 th. Having a solid track record of sold-out performances and an ever-increasing number of artists submitting from across the globe, ArtWallah's overwhelming community and artist-base will once again be hosted at The Barnsdall Art Park and Gallery Theatre in Hollywood. This year, ArtWallah Festival organizers expect over 3000 patrons to attend the mélange of film, dance, theater, literature, visual arts, music, panels, and workshops.
The growing festival represents South Asian artists fringing between ancestric culture and history and influences of their present geographies and pop cultures – a quiltwork experience shared by other minority groups as well. ArtWallah appeals to audiences by basing itself in grassroots ideals while also functioning as a vehicle to push alternative voices onto the radar of mainstream media. The festival celebrates the talents of a diverse community with ethnic roots in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but with current residences outside of South Asia such as in the US, Britain and the Caribbean Islands. It is this “diasporic” element that catalyzes the fusion of ideas, thoughts, experiences and values, producing a hybrid identity drawing both from ethnic roots and from new or adopted homelands. The result is a unique perspective and manner of expression, which sets these artists and their work into categories separate from traditional art forms. The ArtWallah Festival is produced not only to raise awareness and provide a platform for the growing South Asian diaspora, but also to instill inspiration and creativity amongst artists and art patrons.
The artistic works found in the 2005 Festival are a reflection of South Asian realities and current world events through the eyes of South Asians themselves. The following is a sampling of what artistic flavors you will encounter at this year’s festival:
- Reading from her novel, Babyji, Abha Dawesar depicts a young woman’s adventures in Delhi as she questions morality versus pleasure and the role of gender against social rank in modern India.
- The Blend, the Thursday night outdoor concert co-presented by MTV Desi, headlines The Dhamaal Collective, whose dub-inspired Asian Underground embellished with sharp turntablism and percussions will have you up on your feet and grooving for more.
- The Evening Show runs Friday through Sunday and features musical groups such as Mission: on Mars, whose compositions, based in Indian ragas and scales, follow a jazz-like improvisational approach and fuse funk and raga.
- Dancing on the fine line of what is artistic and what can be interpreted as the exotic, Thresh, a New York-based dance company, creates a dialogue between classical Indian and western contemporary dance.
- In a workshop dedicated to comedic writing, comedienne Vijai Nathan expounds on the power of personal truths and experiences to effectively connect with her audience.
- After honing in on your storytelling skills, why not kick off your shoes and join fitness personality Sarina Jain in The Masala Bhangra Workout to burn off a few calories via Indian folk dancing.
- Or perhaps you’d rather sit and indulge in the cinematic poetry of Sonali Gulati’s experimental shorts (“Barefeet”, “Where is there Room?” and “Sum Total”), which explore issues of sexuality, identity, and politics.
- Alternative to the screen, peer into the canvases of Sehr Jalal, whose intricate work modeled after Rajastani miniatures examine the philosophy of thought.
How was that – have we whet your palate? Come join us and soak in the flavors which are guaranteed to move and inspire you, or at least make you contemplate the many faces and facets of a dynamic South Asian diaspora.
The 2005 ArtWallah Festival will open on Thursday, July 7 th with an outdoor concert co-presented by ArtWallah and MTV Desi. Entitled “The Blend”, the evening will highlight bands from various musical styles in a Hollywood Bowl-like ambience. The evening of Friday, July 8 th will begin with the Visual Arts Gallery Reception with a live DJ set by Yashraj and special guest performance by accomplished violinist Parmela Attariwala. The opening is free to the public. Immediately following the reception will be The Evening Show, a 2½-hour program featuring live music, contemporary dance, poetry, spoken word, comedy and film. The Evening Show will be repeated on Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 pm.
Daytime events on Saturday and Sunday will include live outdoor concerts, theater/dance productions, visual arts gallery tours, documentary and short film screenings, poetry and prose readings, as well as workshops and panel discussions. The visual arts gallery will feature paintings, 3-D installation pieces, video art and mixed media works for the duration of the festival. South Asian cuisine, vendors and artist merchandise will also be available.
Tickets are on sale now. Additional information is available at www.artwallah.org/festival and at www.goroovetickets.com.
Organizers invite the public and media to “Tantric”, the official festival launch party, on June 23 to get a taste of the ArtWallah “vibe” prior to the July festival. This precursor to the festival proper, will give attendees the opportunity to meet and mingle with select ArtWallah artists while grooving to the tempo of tantalizing musical fusions as laid down by some of the finest DJ/Producers (Karsh Kale, Govinda, and DJ Sandeep Kumar). All proceeds go towards supporting the July 2005 festival and its artists. Doors open at 9:30; the event is 21+ and will be held at The Concorde in Hollywood, CA.
ABOUT ARTWALLAH
ArtWallah, a non-profit organization, fosters expressions of the South Asian diaspora while creating and promoting dialogue between artists and diverse communities. The organization produces the ArtWallah Festival, an annual arts festival showcasing dance, film, literature, music, spoken word, theater, and visual arts works rooted in the South Asian diaspora. For more information, visit www.artwallah.org or email info@artwallah.org.
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LISTING
ARTWALLAH 2005
Sixth Annual Arts Festival of the South Asian Diaspora
Barnsdall Art Park and Gallery Theater
4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027
(Enter from Hollywood Blvd. just west of Vermont Ave.)
Free Parking on site in lot and around venue perimeter.
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
Thursday, July 7 - Sunday, July 10
FESTIVAL KICK-OFF, Thursday @ 8pm
ArtWallah and MTV Desi Present: The Blend
a night of music under the stars featuring an artwallah-palooza of bands...
$15 advance/$20 at door (includes complimentary drink)
Bring your blankets and refreshments
GALLERY RECEPTION, Friday @ 6pm
mingle against a backdrop of visual arts, musical performance and deejayed beats...
Free to the public
THE EVENING SHOW, Friday @ 8pm, Saturday/Sunday @ 7:30 pm
spotlighting performers across all art forms...
$21 advance/$30 at door
Buy now - this show always sells out!
DAYTIME EVENTS, Saturday/Sunday @ noon onwards
film screenings, gallery tours, literature readings, panels, outdoor concerts, and more...
$5 suggested donation at door
OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY: The Aftermath, Saturday @ 10:30 pm
Rec Center Studio, 1161 Logan, Los Angeles, CA 90026
w/ The Evening Show ticket stub: $10, w/o $20
Tickets on sale through GrooveTickets.
Online: www.groovetickets.com
Or by phone: 877.71.GROOVE (877.714.7668)
Tickets are also available at GrooveTickets Outlets:
DMC Records - (323) 651-3520 - 7619 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Higher Source - (714) 965-5997 - 9122 Adams Ave, Huntington Beach, CA92646
Mileage Clubware - (858) 581-1285 - 951 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109
ArtWallah Super Ticket:
The all-access Super Ticket includes: The Blend (Thursday Night Outdoor Concert), The Evening Show (for Saturday or Sunday) with Preferred Seating, Pre-Show Reception (for Saturday or Sunday), and The Aftermath (Saturday Night Official ArtWallah Afterparty) plus all Saturday and Sunday daytime events.
$100 per pass
The box office opens onsite one hour before the show, and is open all day on Saturday and Sunday. Seating will begin half hour before each show commences.
For more information visit www.artwallah.org/festival or email info@artwallah.org.
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