Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 27, 2021

Thanks to the generosity of Umang and Paragi Patel, the National Indo-American Museum (NIAM), which builds bridges across generations and connects cultures through the diverse colorful stories of Indian Americans, takes residence at its first brick and mortar home at 815 S. Main Street in Lombard, Illinois. The Umang and Paragi Patel Center opens to the public on Friday September 24, 2021 with an inaugural exhibition, E/Merge: Art of the Indian Diaspora.

With major funding provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, E/Merge showcases contemporary, cutting-edge works created by nine renowned Indian-American visual artists from across the United States. Curated by Shaurya Kumar, chair of faculty and associate professor at School of the Art Institute Chicago, the exhibition includes artists who have traversed international borders and adopted the United States as their new home.

In an essay for the exhibitions catalog, Kumar wrote, Works in the exhibition challenge the pre-conceptions of what and how diasporic artists represent themselves and their histories and investigates the notions of origins, narratives of dispersal, and cultural differences under the conditions of globalism. Where do we, as members of the Indian diaspora in the U.S. and elsewhere, locate ourselves in a time of globalization and mass migration? How does the work of contemporary artists locate itself in timepast, present, or future? How does the meaning of a work change when an artist or an artwork attempts to unpack multiple and multi-site narratives beyond the binary of master and counter-narratives? These questions form the premise of E/Merge.

The nine artists whose works appear in the exhibition are:Avantika Bawa, Vancouver, WashingtonSarika Goulatia, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaSreshta Rit Premnath, New York, New YorkKaveri Raina, New York, New YorkNandita Raman, New York, New YorkSurabhi Saraf, New York, New YorkKuldeep Singh, New York, New YorkNeha Vedpathak, Detroit, MichiganKushala Vora, Chicago, IllinoisArtist portraits, biographies, and images of artworks are available here.

Tamara Biggs, director of exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum and a past president of NIAMs board, is serving as producer of the E/Merge exhibition and catalog. She has been instrumental in NIAMs initiative to open the Umang and Paragi Patel Center with a meaningful art exhibition and has guided the process of developing the exhibition and opening the museum.

Monthly programming during the run of the exhibition is in development. Current plans call for artist talks, scholarly panels, family art-making days, and a dance performance featuring art-inspired original choreography.

NIAM has established the following mandatory COVID-19 protocols: Wear a mask or appropriate face covering over nose and mouth. Maintain six feet social distance at all times. Carry proof of vaccination and/or negative PCR test and produce when asked by museum officials. Stay home if displaying flu-like symptoms or recently exposed to the virus. Use hand sanitizers provided.

NIAM will revise these protocols as necessary per the guidance of the CDC and local officials. For more information, visit cdc.gov.

E/MERGE Art of the Indian Diaspora opens Friday, September 24 as the inaugural exhibition of the National Indo-American Museums new home, the Umang and Paragi Patel Center, 815 S. Main Street, Lombard, Illinois.

Museum/exhibition opening hours:Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.5 p.m.Group tours are available by appointment.

Adult admission at the door is $5, 10% discount for groups of 10 or more.Student admission is $3, free for those attending art classes.Admission for children younger than 12 is free (except groups).Free parking is available. All programming is subject to change.For information, visit niam.org.

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E/Merge: Art of the Indian Diaspora | 09/24/2021 - Choose Chicago

Category: Diaspora
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