:dateline:In Brampton, Ontario home to one of the LARGEST Sikh communities outside of Punjab, a very special relationship began. The Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archive (PAMA), Brampton�s preeminent art institution, partnered with the Sikh Community to celebrate an entire�month of programming around Sikh Heritage.
Sikh Heritage Month opened many doors in celebrating the rich tradition of the Sikh People. People started to host events at their workplaces, held gatherings at their homes, and used April as a month to start educating and informing people about the Sikh Spirituality.
�The Spirit of the Sikhs,� a month long exhibit featuring the work of 22 local and international artists. In addition,�a dynamic month of programming�was provided to the community with over 20 events�with the help of�more than 15 community partners. Over 4500 people attended PAMA over the month of April to experience Sikh Arts and Culture.
A recap of last year’s event
PAMA also hosted a variety of other events including: �a special one day exhibit of the largest Sikh Coin collection in the world, discussions about Sikh Heritage, Gurbani workshops, along with a whole slew of exhibitions by local artists.
This ground-breaking partnership was even recognized by the Ontario Museum Association who awarded PAMA with the Community Engagement Award of Excellence for its�Sikh Heritage Month�programming (for more information on the award, see:�https://pama.peelregion.ca/en/News/index.aspx?newsId=84b26649-c63e-40c9-a776-e0c4120a0a73).
Plans are already underway to expand Sikh Heritage Month for 2016. At the centre of these plans is inviting UK Artists, �The Singh Twins�, as the main exhibitors for the Sikh Heritage Month Celebrations. The Singh Twins are widely recognized as some of the most well established contemporary artists in the Sikh Diaspora. Their world-renowned work has resulted in recognition by numerous art and academic institutions.
The organization�goals are to provide a platform where anyone can come out to express themselves about the rich Sikh tradition. Whether it be through exhibiting visual art, hosting a discussion, organizing an open mic, or facilitating a workshop, all are welcome�to get involved with Sikh Heritage Month.
