LEWISTON, Idaho – The exhibit called “The Land of Persepolis: Introducing Persian Culture to the West,” which features the work of more than 50 artists, will be on display Sept. 24-Dec. 10 at the Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts & History, located at 415 Main St. in Lewiston.
The free exhibit features artists from the United States and Iran who are inspired by the aesthetic beauty and rich traditions of Persian culture. The exhibit includes ceramics, mixed media, painting, photography, and textiles.
In lieu of an opening reception, the Center will host a series of free virtual public programs throughout the fall semester. Advance registration is required for each program. Visit the CAH exhibit webpage for links, more details, and to register in advance.
The first presentation is on Sept. 29 at 5-6 p.m. by Mohammad Ghaedi, who holds a Ph.D. in political science from Washington State University and master’s degrees in political science and government, international relations, and psychology. He has taught at WSU and is a visiting scholar at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University focusing on U.S. and Iran conflict resolution. His presentation will introduce Iran as a mosaic of ethno-linguistic groups from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Each of these groups for thousands of years, through their traditions and pop culture including food and music, have contributed to a rich and vibrant multicultural country. Ghaedi will address the similarities of Iran and the U.S. in terms of geographic diversity and cultural values.
On Oct.16, at 11 a.m.-noon, Los Angeles celebrity/private chef and owner of Noush Catering Mojdeh Eghbal will provide a lively cooking demonstration of a traditional Persian dish. Complimentary ingredient kits will be available for pick-up at the Center for Arts & History in advance of the event for participants to prepare their meals at home. Contact Emily Johnsen, director at the Center for Arts & History, at [email protected] to reserve a kit.
Other virtual public programs include: a calligraphy demonstration led by award-winning calligrapher, curator, designer, and exhibiting artist Arash Shirinbab (Oct. 8, 6-7 p.m.); a presentation on the history of Persian dance by choreographer Somaye Dadgari and a performance by the Rahaa Dance Group from Seattle (Oct. 22, 6-7 p.m.); a Skype conversation with the producer and director of the film Broken Grail, which will be available to watch online throughout the course of the exhibition (Oct. 28, 7-8 p.m.); an arts workshop examining the motifs and patterns in Persian textiles led by exhibiting artist Rachael Mayer (Nov. 6, 10-11 a.m.); a presentation by LC State professor emeritus of psychology Rhett Diessner on his personal encounters with Persian culture (Nov. 9, 4-5 p.m.); a traditional Persian music performance by WSU students Nasir Haghighi and Maziar Mivehchi (Nov. 16, 7-7:30 p.m.); and a closing lecture on Persian architecture by Vahid Vahdat, an assistant professor of architecture and interior design at WSU’s School of Design and Construction (Dec. 9, 6-7 p.m.).
Artists in the exhibit include Laura Ahola-Young, Ebrahim Alipoor, Hassan Almasi, Amir Amiri, Hamidreza Amirimatin, Nasser Azizi, Kaveh Baghdadchi, Mohammadhassan Bagheri, Mohammad Bahmanziari, William Bybee, Shelley Cutler, Tirazheh Eslami, Hossein Esmaeili, Christopher Farnes, Ali Ghahremani, Hossein Hajilari, Abdollah Heydari, Majid Hojjati, Davoud Izadpanah, Keyvan Jafari, Parisa Jafari, Bahar Jafarinejad, Pooneh Jafarinejad, Phil Jenkins, Amirhossein Kamali, Yaghoub Khansalar, Ali Khavanin, Azadeh Khoramyar, Zohreh Lak, Leslie Lambert, Forrest Lesch-Middelton, Mehran Mafibordbar, Nasim Mansouri, Rachael Mayer, Borna Mirahmadian, Hossein Mirkamali, Sara Mousazadeh, Mohammadreza Nazmi, Hamidreza Norouzi, Steven Oberg, Omidreza Pournabi, Milad Rafat, Amir Sadeghi, Ramona Shahsavar, Arash Shirinbab, Javid Tafazoli, Ahmad Taji, Fahimeh Zandi, and Mehrzad Zarrabian.
The exhibit is part of the college’s Multicultural Awareness Month in September.
CAH gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. on Monday through Friday. The exhibit will also be open at 4-6 p.m. on Sept 24, 4-9 p.m. on Oct. 1, and noon-4 p.m. on Oct. 2. The college’s COVID-19 protocols will be followed. Face coverings are required indoors. This and other protocols may be found on the college’s Coronavirus web page.
This exhibition and virtual program series are made possible in part by funds from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and US Bank. For more information on the exhibit or programs, call the CAH office at 208-792-2447 or email [email protected].