MITHILA PAINTING: THE EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM  Travels to the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison Wisconsin for it's next viewing through early December 2013.

Exhibition-related programming

Sept. 19, 7 p.m.: Mithila Painters: Five Village Artists from Madhubani, India (1983, 40 min.). Following the film screening, Joseph Elder, UW–Madison Professor of Languages and Cultures of South Asia and Sociology, and executive producer and narrator of the film, will lead a discussion and talk about the lives of the profiled artists. Offered in conjunction with the exhibition Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form. Auditorium

Oct. 17: Exhibition reception and lecture

4:15 p.m.: Docent Suzanne Chopra leads a 40-minute tour of 

Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form

5:30 p.m. “Mithila Painting: India’s Most Vital Tradition,” lecture by David Szanton, an anthropologist involved with the Mithila painters since 1977, and current president of the Ethnic Arts Foundation. He will discuss the origins of the foundation, the goals of the exhibition, and the status of Mithila painting today.  

6:30–8 p.m. Reception with live music by Saaz, refreshments, and a cash bar

Oct. 18, 12:15 p.m.: Docent Judith Mjaanes leads a 40-minute tour of Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form

Oct. 19, 12:15 p.m.: Docent Judith Mjaanes leads a 40-minute tour of Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form

Oct. 20, 2 p.m.: Docent Suzanne Chopra leads a 40-minute tour of Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form 

The exhibition was organized by the Ethnic Arts Foundation and curated by David Szanton, President, Ethnic Arts Foundation and Patter Hellstrom, Artist/Curator, PHVA.  

Generous support for this exhibition has been provided by the Chazen Museum of Art Council and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Women of remote Northern India struggle with issues of rage and violence. Mithila artists speak out using their traditional style combined with social commentary. See linked story from the NYTimes about struggles in other North India region.   NYTimes Article

Lawrence Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive said of MILTILIA PAINTING:

"Over the past several decades, the artists of the Mithila communities have produced an astonishingly brilliant body of works on paper, drawing on their centuries old iconographic traditions and techniques as well as evolving new imagery and approaches that reflect global transformations. I have rarely encountered such a highly concentrated number of exceptionally gifted artists. They are a treasure!”

MITHILA PAINTING - THE EVLOUTION OF AN ART FORM will open October 12th

First venue booked!

Co-curated and managed by Patter Hellstrom Visual Art / Curatorial the show is filled with fantastic connections between traditional and contemporary subject matter and styles. The Ethnic Art Foundation will share this amazing work throughout the United States for two years. California State University Fresno will be the opening venue in October 2012. Galleries and museums are booking this exhibition through the end of 2013. Plans are underway for a showing in New Delhi, India. The excitement grows as the opening of the exhibition draws near.  Contact project manager, Paul Aaronson (paul@patterhellstrom.com) for more information.

“Over the past several decades, the artists of the Mithila communities have produced an astonishingly brilliant body of works on paper, drawing on their centuries old iconographic traditions and techniques as well as evolving new imagery and approaches that reflect global transformations. I have rarely encountered such a highly concentrated number of exceptionally gifted artists. They are a treasure!”

Lawrence Rinder, 

Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

“Over the past several decades, the artists of the Mithila communities have produced an astonishingly brilliant body of works on paper, drawing on their centuries old iconographic traditions and techniques as well as evolving new imagery and approaches that reflect global transformations. I have rarely encountered such a highly concentrated number of exceptionally gifted artists. They are a treasure!”

Lawrence Rinder

Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Early reviewers of the MITHILA PAINTING: THE EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM report,

"How can one generalize about a genre that includes: Baua Devi's lush interpretations of the Krishna stories; Pinki Kumari's de- and re-construction of the classic ritual kohbar motif; Priyansha's extraordinary homage to a Botticelli Nativity; Rani Jha's powerful and disturbing depiction of the abortion clinic; Shalinee Kumari's iconic visions of capitalism and global warming" says John H. Bowles, author of Painted Songs & Stories: The Hybrid Flowerings of Contemporary Pardhan Gond Art.

While Joanna Williams, one of the most respected South Asia Art Historians in the USA and professor of Art History at the University of California, Berkeley stated that, "in 40 paintings on paper this exhibit updates an ancient wall painting tradition ranging from the early deities and marriage images to contemporary narratives and social and feminist themes."