BRAMPTON, ON. (April 3, 2016) - April started with a bang this past weekend as the 2nd Annual Sikh Heritage Month festival was launched at the prestigious Peel Art Gallery Museum + Archives (PAMA). In the true Sikh spirit of sarbat, the community came together to share and enjoy our collective culture in all its many forms, spiritual, historical and contemporary.
The Opening Night launch event on April 1st was an exposition of fine art, live musical performances, engaging workshops and fine cuisine all under one roof. In a few short hours the community was treated to Sikhism through every creative lens imaginable and there were events to engage and excite all ages. The evening ran with Gatka demonstrations, an arts focused market place, and sikhi centered workshops. As always the heart of the event was a fine art exhibition which showcased the talent of Sikh artists whose work has been collected from across the globe, demonstrating the unprecedented creative engagement of Arts and Sikhism which is now becoming a global phenomenon. The marquee event was a Singh Twins art Exhibit showcasing the vast bulk of their collected works which will hang in the main gallery for viewing throughout this month and beyond. It will no doubt inspire the young creative minds of our community.
On the musical side, audiences enjoyed compelling performances by the talented California based violinist aka Violinder which ran throughout the evening. The marketplace buzzed with local talent including fashion designers, bakers, storybook writers, local organizations and artists giving the community an opportunity to engage with and lend support in their efforts.
“Opening night is something I have been looking forward to since I attended last year. I am so impressed with the variety of exhibits and workshops. The artistic talent we have within our community is incredible”, says attendee Rupinder Kaur.
The remainder of the weekend included an intimate discussion with the renouned UK artists The Singh Twins, performance by The Raj Academy, a high-school art exhibition as well as a thought provoking seminar by Harinder Singh of the Free Akal Takht movement.
“The energy from this weekend was incredible and was a great way to launch Sikh Heritage Month 2016, says Sikh Heritage Month Foundation member and founder of the co-working space Lab-B, Harman Singh. “The community should expect a month full of events that will celebrate the rich Sikh history and culture that we all share”.
The Opening weekend was attended by over 1,000 enthusiastic community members, and it was only a taste of what the rest of the month has in store. Please visit us at www.ontariosikhheritagmonth.ca to plan your next outing.
