September 22 through September 24, 2006

Report on the Sikh Foundation's Asilomar Retreat and Gathering

The Sikh Foundation, on popular demand, revived its traditional Annual Retreat and Gathering after a gap of 10 years. The approximately 40 attendees included men and women, professors, scholars, scientists, doctors, attorneys, academics, authors, engineers, businessmen, and students--all with an underlying concern with the state of affairs of Sikhs, both in Punjab, India and in the diaspora.

The gathering took place between Friday, September 22 and Sunday, September 24, 2006 in the idyllic conference, lodging, and boarding facilities at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, near fabulous 17 Mile Drive in Monterey, California. The setting--right on the Pacific Ocean in the midst of trails, hills and trees--was most conducive to relaxation and thus helped the group address, most constructively, the highly complex and demanding agenda: The Teachings of The Sikh Gurus And Current Beliefs And Customs of Sikhs. Following are details on the various sessions.

Friday evening’s social hour and dinner were informal gatherings. 

Saturday morning, Dr. Narinder S. Kapany, Chairman of the Sikh Foundation, opened the historic conference at 9:00. He welcomed the distinguished gathering and gave a brief Introduction to the Sikh Foundation covering the organization’s objectives and a brief description of its projects and marvelous achievements over the years. Dr. Kapany brought the group up to date on the status of Sikh art in various museums worldwide: a permanent exhibition at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, a 10-year exhibition underway at the Smithsonian Exhibition, the first exhibition of Sikh art in New York City underway at the Rubin Museum in New York City through January 2007, an ongoing relationship with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and talks in progress toward exhibitions at the Guimet Museum in Paris and a museum in Lahore, Pakistan.

Dr. Kapany discussed the progress of the various Sikh chairs in California universities and also candidly pointed out that despite decades of discussion, there is still no plan for a Sikh chair at UC Berkeley. Dr. Kapany also discussed how, if he had it to do over again, he would have started with funding top Sikh schools, then moved on to introduce the idea of Sikh chairs in universities, and only later begun work with museums rather than doing it all the other way around. And then he broke the news that a top Sikh school is in fact in the works. Dr. Kapany revealed that S. Didar Singh Bains--last week at the inaugural gala of the Sikh art exhibition at the Rubin Museum in New York City--publicly announced that he was donating 500 acres of land in Merced, California for the purpose of establishing this most coveted school. 

The first session was chaired by Dr. Anmol Singh Mahal, President Elect of the 150 year-old California Medical Association, the largest association of physicians in the United States. The inaugural speaker, Dr. Gurinder Singh Mann, Chair of Sikh Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, gave a very impressive brief on his program’s activities from 1999 to 2006. His statistics of consistently increasing numbers of students in various classes and programs was a testimony to the popularity and usefulness of the Sikh Studies program at UC Santa Barbara. He gave an open call that since the activity level is so high, the program needs more resources in the form of visiting professors, research assistants, and even volunteers from the community.

The next speaker was Dr. Pashura Singh, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside. He very ably covered his subject, Facing the Past and Building the Future. He pointed out various unique and revolutionary institutional changes, which we have to recognize along with their significance for our future. He described several new courses on Sikhism at UCR that he has already begun teaching with overflowing student enrollment. He shows very fast progress and has thought-provoking ideas indeed.

There was a very lively question and answer session, which became a very open discussion on these subjects, in the true spirit of the conferees’ guidelines from Dr. Kapany to speak openly and honestly in the sessions.

The next session was after lunch. While walking around the "campus" from the conference room, to our own rooms, and to the dining hall, we all realized how great the weather was--a crisp sunny day with a sea breeze blowing to keep the temperature just right.

Dr. Gurinder Pal Singh, a mechanical engineer with IBM, chaired the first session after lunch, during which Dr. Harbans Lal, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology and Neurosciences at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center and President of the academy of Guru Granth Studies, presented his codification of hundreds of examples suggesting that illiterate clerics are dangerously diverting Sikh communities away from the direction to where the Sikh path was meant to lead us. He concluded by making constructive suggestions to reverse these undesirable trends. His presentation was unpalatable for many, but, unfortunately, nobody could deny the truth of his observations. Dr. Lal called upon all to return to the roots of Gurmat taught by Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Dr. Avtar Singh Dhaliwal, retired cosmetic and plastic reconstructive surgeon and President of the Tri-City Sikh Association of Johnson City, Tennessee, presented numerous pictorial proofs that Sikhism was under calculated external attack aimed at a complete annihilation of Sikhism. A very lively discussion followed. 

The next speaker was Dr. Janmeja Singh Meji, Professor Clinical Psychology at University of California, Berkeley, and Management Consultant. His topic was Sikhi Kamaaee. He had very ably started his discussion with conference attendees weeks in advance via email. The discussion continued with Meji posing questions that generated a great deal of discussion of focus. He really gave us a taste of the kind of "brainstorming strategy" we want to follow in conferences like this one. 

Attendees gathered for a campfire after dinner, a memorable event that generated discussion of the school project in Merced. Various pros and cons and roadblocks were identified, to be addressed as the project progresses. Serious discussion was followed by numerous jokes, and stories that kept all there until late at night.

The next day’s session opened with a very futuristic and thought-provoking talk on A Universal Scientific Understanding of Guru Nanak by Dr. Avtar Singh, Manager Power and Energy SIL, BAE Systems, under the chairmanship of Dr. Harbans Lal. The subject was so futuristic that even among this august gathering it created a heated but healthy debate!

Last but not the least was the speech by Dr. Raghbir Singh Basi, Retired Provost, University of Alaska. His talk was a clarion call to all to ACTION to transform each and every village in Punjab into a model village with clean water, new sewer systems, and computers in schools. His devoted work for the last few years had already streamlined the process and proven that it is DOABLE, so get to action!

The attendees observed a moment of silence in the memory of a valuable Sikh activist and former Sikh Foundation Trustee, Professor Ranjit Singh Sabharwal, who left for heavenly abode a few months ago after a long illness. The Foundation will join the family of Professor Sabharwal to establish a suitable memorial in the memory of this departed colleague.

Without exception, there was consensus that this and other such retreats should be continued. Towards this goal the attendees thanked Dr. Kapany and the staff of the Sikh Foundation for spearheading this project. A comprehensive questionnaire has been distributed to all participants to guide planning for future gathering. 

Sunday, January 14 and Sunday, January 21, 2007

Programs at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, New York

On Sunday, January 14 at 4:00 pm, the Rubin Museum of Art and the Interfaith Center of New York present By the Book, a discussion of the application and interpretation of four scriptures that inform Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and the Sikh faith. James Carroll, Rolando Matalon, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Professor Manjit Singh, and the Very Reverend James Park Morton will participate. Admission is $15. The Rubin Museum is located at 150 West 17th street in New York City. 

On Sunday, January 21 at 4:00 pm, the Rubin Museum of Art presents The Music of Mardana. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was accompanied on his travels by Mardana, the rabab player. Quraishi, a leading exponent of the Afghan rabab in the United States, draws inspiration from the stories of Guru Nanak in his performance of storytelling and music. Admission is $12. The Rubin Museum is located at 150 West 17th street in New York City.

Sunday, September 17, 2006 through Sunday, January 27, 2007

I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion Exhibit Runs at Rubin Museum of Art, New York 

I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion, an exhibition of Sikh art dating from the 16th through the 19th centuries, opens September 17, 2006 at the Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street in New York City. The show runs through January 27, 2007 and is jointly sponsored by the Sikh Foundation and the Sikh Art & Film Foundation.

Sikh courage and valor against oppression are well-known from history. Much less well-known, however, are Sikh beliefs and ideals, even basic ones. This exhibition brings together art made for Sikh patrons that displays values of early Sikh humanism and places Sikh art within the large mosaic of Indian painting.

This is the first major exhibition focused on Sikh art in New York city, and many of the works are on view for the first time in the United States. The exhibition will be comprised of approximately 100 works from the 16^th through the 19^th centuries, including paintings, drawings, textiles, and metalwork. Loans are requested from the Government Museum and Art Gallery (Chandigarh), National Museum (New Delhi), the Sanskriti Museum (New Delhi), the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), and the collection of Narinder and Satinder Kapany, Palo Alto, California, along with other private lenders.

Exhibition Sections

1) The Unity of God (Ikk Oan Kar), discoveries of the First Guru: pages from two important sets of illustrated biographies (janamsakhis) will be featured. These images, plus drawings from related workshops, will show events in the life of the seeker who became the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. He is shown in discussion with saints and followers of various faiths, questioning the futility of rituals, refusing to acknowledge the inequality of human beings, and discovering the cornerstones of Sikh faith; 2) One Spark, Ten Flames: images of the gurus and the early development of Sikhism; 3) Reverence and Devotion: the Adi Granth, the sacred scriptures, as the living guru; 4) Honest labor, endless service: paintings of Sikh craftsmen whose labor and humility are tenets of their faith.

The intimate nature of the paintings and drawings in the exhibition, together with the abstract iconless image of the divine in Sikh thought, have encouraged an installation that creates drama through juxtapositions of “light and darkness,” a metaphor persistent in early Sikh writings. 

The clarity of vision characteristic of the Pahari (Hill States) artists, who created most of the work shown in the exhibition, is well-matched to the grounded truths that are conveyed in the portraits and stories of the Sikh gurus.

Education, Public Programs and Catalog

A variety of educational programs will be offered in conjunction with the exhibition, including:

The exhibition will be accompanied by a book by renowned scholar of Indian art, Dr. B. N. Goswamy, Professor Emeritus, Panjab University, and a fully-illustrated catalog by Dr. Caron Smith, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of the Rubin Museum of Art.

For more information about this exhibition, including directions to the museum and opening hours, visit the Rubin Museum of Art website.

Saturday, September 9, 2006 through Saturday, November 18, 2006

Family Workshops on North Indian Culture and Art at the Rubin Museum

Most Saturday afternoon family workshops at New York's Rubin Museum (150 West 17th Street in New York City) this fall celebrate the exhibition I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion or North Indian culture more generally. Children ages five through nine must be accompanied by adult learning partners. Children 10 and older may participate in the program without an adult. Art materials will be provided. Family programs are free with museum admission, while a $5 donation per family is suggested. Please register as space is limited by calling 212 620 5000 x 344 at least one hour before the program.

Saturday, September 9, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Stamp!
Celebrate Grandparents' Day by carving your own stamps inspired by ancient designs from North India.

Saturday, September 16, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Sikh Stories through Indian Dance and Music
Join Sonali Skandan and A.R. Balaskandan as they bring famous Sikh tales alive through Indian dance and music. Suitable for all ages.

Saturday, September 23, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Marionettes
Create and animate your own North Indian puppets.

Saturday, September 30, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Dazzle and Design
Transform your room into a new, magical place with decorations inspired by ancient Indian motifs.

Saturday, October 21, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Festival of Lights
Celebrate Diwali the Sikh way. Make a clay lamp and listen to stories set to live music. Suitable for all ages. Free.

Saturday, October 28, 2:00 to 3:30 pm 
Sangeet Party
Listen to live Sikh wedding songs and decorate your hands with Henna. Suitable for all ages.

Saturday, November 4, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Sikh Turbans
Join us for a live demonstration. Tie a turban yourself and garnish your hair with jewels. Suitable for all ages.

Saturday, November 4, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Celebrate India's Children's Day!
Join storyteller Susan Wu for tales and art projects that explore the richness of the Sikh culture.

Saturday, November 18, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Miniature Painting
Pick up a magnifying glass and peer into a miniature world of wonder.

Sunday, September 17 through Sunday, October 1, 2006

Sikh Film Festival at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York

The Sikh Art & Film Foundation organized a festival of films from around the world to coincide with I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion, the exhibition at the Rubin Museum, 150 West 17th Street in New York City. See below for a record of the full schedule, including appearances by Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (The Singh Twins), Tami Yeager, Wing Commander A. S. Bedi, Dr. I. J. Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Ali Kazimi, Ish Amitoj Kaur, Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju, Reema Anand, Kevin Lee, Harpreet Kaur, Bicky Singh, and Gurvinder Singh.  All films were shown at the Rubin Museum.

Sunday, September 17

Cluster 1
11.00 am – 12.15 pm	The Sikhs, Part 1
	60 minutes
	BBC John Das
12.15 pm. — 12.45 pm	Nineteen Eighty-Four
	30 minutes
	Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh
12.45 pm – 1.00 pm	The Sikh Next Door
	Tami Yeager
1.00 pm – 1.15 pm	Meet the artists
	The Singh Twins
	Tami Yeager
Cluster 2
2.00 pm – 3.30 pm	Sikh Past & Present
	90 minutes
	Wing Commander A. S.Bedi
3.30 pm – 3.45 pm	Meet the artist
	Wing Commander A. S. Bedi

Wednesday, September 20

1 pm	The Khalsa – Vision Revisited
	30 minutes
	The Nagaara Trust
	Discussion with Dr. I. J. Singh
7.00 pm – 8.50 pm	Train to Pakistan
	111 minutes
	Kushwant Singh/Pamela Rooks

Sunday, September 23

4.00pm – 4.45 pm	Rise of the Khalsa
	Animation
	45  minutes
	Sukhwinder Singh
4.45 pm – 5.25 pm	Sunny the Proud Sikh
	Animation
	40 minutes
	Gurdeep Singh
5.25pm – 5:40 pm	Meet the artists
	Sukwinder Singh
	Gurdeep Singh

Sunday, September 24

Cluster 1
12.00pm – 12.52 pm	Runaway Grooms
	52 minutes
	Ali Kazimi
12.52 pm – 1.10 pm	Meet the artist
	Ali Kazimi
1.25 pm – 2.15 pm	Kambdi Kalaai
	50 minutes
	Ish Amitoj Kaur
2.15 pm – 2:30 pm	Meet the artist
	Ish Amitoj Kaur
Cluster 2
3.00pm – 4.30 pm	Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath
	120 minutes
	Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju
4.30pm – 5.07 pm	Stringing of Pearls in the Valley of Divine Peace – Baru Sahib
	37 minutes
	Reema Anand
5.07pm – 5.30 pm	Meet the artists
	Valarie Kaur, Sharat Raju, and Reema Anand

Wednesday, September 27

1.00 pm – 1.25 pm	Sikhs and Turbans
	25 minutes
	Jaspreet Kaur
1.25 pm – 1.45 pm	Dastaar: Defending the
	Sikh Identity
	15 minutes
	Kevin Lee
1.45 pm – 2.pm	Discussion Kevin Lee
7.00 pm – 8.00 pm	My Mother India
	52 minutes
	Safina Uberoi
8.00 pm – 9:00 pm	A Winter Tale
	55 minutes
	Gurvinder Singh

Friday, September 29

Saturday, September 30