Kicking off the springtime holiday season was Nowruz, the New Year celebrated in at least 19 countries and a holiday that is widely observed throughout Toronto. To celebrate, Airsa Art & Thought Association, a young North York-based arts organization, brought a diverse group of artists and patrons together reiterating the importance of sharing and celebrating our cultures with the community.
The event, which took place this past March at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, was a multicultural art exhibition called Nowruzgan. The exhibition featured the incredible work of 13 local newcomer artists, both visual and performance-based, each bringing their own interpretations of spring, renewal, and rebirth. Patrons were enthralled by the variety of works and left with plenty of new insights about Nowruz. After a week-long showcase, Nowruzgan successfully shared this important holiday with over 100 individuals.
“I curated this exhibition to bring communities together,” Said Aitak Sorahitalab, Artistic Director and Project Manager of Arisa Art & Thought Association. “Art has the power to create social dialogues and helps nurture relationships between diverse groups of society. Nowruzgan allowed attendees to envision a world in which we deserve to live – one with no war, no conflict, more acceptance and more appreciation.”
Airsa Art & Thought Association has grown immensely since its inception just two short years ago. With each new program, the organization continues to reach its goal of familiarizing people with the arts and supporting newcomers and newcomer artists. Through partnerships, cultural events, training opportunities, and community art initiatives, we can’t wait to see what else Airsa Art has in store!
Nowruzgan was run in partnership with Local Arts Service Organization, North York Arts, community arts organization Art Starts, and was supported by a Toronto Arts Council Platform A grant.
For more information about the Airsa Art & Thought Association visit http://airsa.org/
Photo taken by Pavel K.
