Kathmandu: The crowd of art aficionados and Fulbright grantees at Siddhartha Art Gallery (SAG) on Tuesday, June 7 were taking turns to look at the exhibition.

The program inaugurated by US Ambassador to Nepal, His Excellency Scott H DeLisi, had a huge audience spreading throughout the gallery and its courtyard.

The event titled “Celebrating Fulbright in Nepal” was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the United States Educational Foundation (USEF) in Nepal. It showcased the collection of artwork and photographs by US and Nepali Fulbright Scholarship grantees over the years. Among others, the event featured the work of late Lain Singh Bangdel when he was a Nepali Fulbright Senior Scholar in 1968-69.

Ambassador DeLisi remarked the art event was a mood changer for him. He added, “The main attraction at this art event would be the painting of Lain Singh Bangdel which is a masterful expression of the artistic display anywhere in the world.”

Dr Laurie Ann Vasily, Executive Director of USEF-Nepal and the mastermind behind the event, said she was inspired by the Fulbright grantee Kathryn Myers’ similar sort of work in India.

“I had a wonderful experience from contacting the artists, their eagerness to give back to the program and this event today,” said she, adding, “I’m more than thrilled today. The arts display the cross-cultural expressions between the US and Nepal.”

The event displayed the photographs, installations, paintings and video by the twelve Fulbright grantees: Andy Grabar, Ashmina Ranjit, Kathryn Hagy, Kevin Bubriski, Kripa Joshi, Lain Singh Bangdel, Liz Lance, Piero Passacantando, Rachel Stevens, Taylor Weidman, and William Mebane.

“I believe that person-to-person learning is more fruitful than academic education. The program emphasizes on such learning,” said Ashmina Ranjit, a visual artist and a Nepali Fulbright Student grantee in 2004-05.

Echoing Ranjit, another grantee, Taylor Weidman, said that Fulbright gives a fantastic opportunity for long-term projects. He added, “I traveled to Mustang three times and developed a brother-like relations with a monk and his family.”

The event will continue until June 21.

source: republica(2011),"Fulbright Scholarships: 50th anniversary with Nepal ", republica, 9 June 2011