The colloquium panel from left: Nancy Hanrahan, Anna Dinielson, Sushmita Mazumdar, Alysia Blake, and Monica Gomez Isaac
April 2016: IIR-GMU Collaboration
Celebrating the Contributions of Immigrant Artists as Entrepreneurs: IIR & Studio PAUSE!
When I went for the Dec 2015 open house hosted by the Institute of Immigration Research at George Mason University, I thought I’d meet some people I had met before, hear of some new ideas and projects, nibble on some treats. But it turned out to be a whole other thing! It let to interesting conversations and a wonderful collaboration. A Celebration, interviews, and so much more.
At the beautiful celebration on May 2, 2016, IIR director Dr. James Witte said:“The idea for tonight’s event came out of a conversation with Sushmita Mazumdar of Studio PAUSE and what she and other immigrant artists are doing. Their efforts are further examples of how immigrants are contributing – economically, socially and culturally – to their new communities. Their entrepreneurial spirit, attitude, and outlook yield benefits for us all.” – Dr. James Witte, IIR Director
From Monica Gomez Isaac, executive director of IIR: “We, at the IIR, believe it is important to accurately share how immigrants enrich our nation in many different ways, and do this by providing unbiased research results through unique projects and collaborative efforts.”
See photos of the celebration on our Facebook page here. Thanks so much to everyone who could come out amidst traffic and hail!
Read about the event here, a wonderfully written piece by Studio friend Mark Silva.
For this project, Studio PAUSE member Yuri Long shot portraits of the artists in their studios. Check out his photos here, The Artist’s Studio 2016.
I was a panelist at the IIR March 2016 Colloquium. You can see the recording below.
In the summer of 2016, the collaboration continues as IIR researchers interview immigrant artists who are friends of Studio PAUSE.