Beyond Language; Using the Arts to Bridge Cultural Differences
Published August 25, 2018
Our friends at Buffalo Arts Studio (BAS) held a wonderful community event last night titled "Beyond Language; using the arts to bridge cultural differences." Open Buffalo was proud to participate as a partner with BAS, and in support of incredible visual artist Muhammad Z. Zaman (2018 Open Buffalo Emerging Artist).
Below is a recap:
August Fourth Friday at Buffalo Arts Studio featured a panel discussion titled Beyond Language. The conversation was moderated by Buffalo Arts Studio Curator Shirley Verrico and Open Buffalo Acting Executive Director Max Anderson.
Individuals from across the diverse cultural community of Western New Work spoke about the ways in which they use the arts to bridge cultural differences and work across the inherent difficulties of language.
Panelists included :
- Buffalo Arts Studio Resident Artist Muhammad Z. Zaman (2018 Open Buffalo Emerging Artist)
- Buffalo Arts Studio Artist-In-Residence Zsófi Barabás
- Director of the BuBu Artist Resident Exchange Program, Katalin Mechtler
- Educational Coordinator, Buffalo State Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education, Win Min Thant
- Amor and Heritage Dance Founder and Executive Director, MarCe Zerrate-Sandel
- Mackenzie Hafner, Community Outreach Specialist, Journey's End
The discussion was accompanied by the studio's current exhibition "Lux" by Muhammad Z. Zaman. Muhammad is a young Muslim man living and working in the United States who uses language as cultural signifier; English for his current home, Bengali as the language of his fatherland, and Arabic as the language of his religion. His canvas paintings and wall murals layer powerful messages in order to inspire people to learn from each other in harmony and mutual understanding. You can learn more about his work here: http://buffaloartsstudio.org/muhammad-z-zaman-lux-july-27-september-7-2018/