On November 18, 2015, IA&A hosted its first Art in Context panel discussion at IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space, which featured a discussion with Saamia Ahmed, Curator and Professor at the National College of Arts in Lahore, Melanie Bixby, Executive Director of the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, and Shaista Khilji, Professor at The George Washington University. The conversation was moderated by Wajahat Ali, Creative Director of Affinislabs.
Art in Context: Pakistan explored the impact of current cultural shifts within Pakistani arts and society. The panelists discussed contemporary influences on Pakistani culture, the implications of empowering formerly marginalized citizens, as well as what action is needed from future leaders. They recognized how women, artists, and millennials throughout Pakistan are leading groundbreaking initiatives to establish a more equal, creative society and to counterbalance the negative perceptions of Pakistan abroad. Together with Pakistani leaders, international partners from the public and private sectors are supporting cultural and economic initiatives, ranging from promotion of the arts to women’s entrepreneurship training. Commitments to the arts and to gender equity have resulted in a change in thinking among men and women who seek to engage all Pakistanis, regardless of gender or circumstance. At the discussion’s close, those in attendance acknowledged the important role that these dialogues play in expanding perspectives of the role of the arts in the international arena.
________________________________________________________
A project of IA&A’s Cultural Exchange Programs, the International Partnership Initiative champions international work between American arts institutions and their counterparts abroad by creating a forum for discussion and discovery among leaders in the artistic, academic, diplomatic, and policy communities. The Initiative’s research and programming facilitates cross-cultural understanding and builds stronger ties through global partnerships in the arts.
