South Asian Artists Association of America

As part of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Month in May 2026, the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) has invited the South Asian Artists Association of America (S4A) to exhibit at the theater’s Art Upstairs Gallery. We will be showcasing approximately 40 works, both 2D and 3D, in a variety of media.  All artists with origins in South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) are welcome to apply.

The Art Upstairs Gallery is located in the balcony lobby of MPAC and holds exhibits year-round to showcase visual artists from a variety of mediums including watercolor, oil, photography, sculpture and more. Each year, the works of over 200 artists are shown in group exhibits. With numerous performances at the theater throughout the year, there is considerable footfall to view the art shows. The gallery provides a unique opportunity to marry the visual and performing arts, and gives exposure to artwork with audiences that may not normally frequent an art gallery. Charles Miller is the MPAC program consultant and curator/coordinator of the gallery space.

About the Title

The exhibit title “Resonance: Roots and Routes” refers to the roots South Asian artists have to their respective South Asian countries though they may have taken different routes in their life & artistic journeys, whether devoting themselves to traditional South Asian art forms, or pursuing and embracing other art genres and movements. All the while, there is a resonance of sorts between the artist’s roots and their art, and between the works selected for this exhibit.

Theme

Open! All styles, from traditional to contemporary are welcome! There is also no specific subject, concept, or mood. 

About the Curators

Meeta Garg is an international artist and curator exploring the relationship between memory, material, and place. She works with oil, acrylic and mixed-media in her practice, incorporating textiles, stones and found natural elements to create intimate, tactile works rooted in heritage and personal experience. Trained at Central Saint Martins, London, Meeta continues her practice in the United States and is the founder of The Meraki, a platform dedicated to fostering creativity through workshops, corporate art-based engagement, and curated exhibitions. She is also active in her local arts community, volunteering at school shows, serving on the Bernards Parks and Recreation Committee, and contributing as a board member at The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, NJ. www.artbymeeta.com | Instagram: @artbymeeta


Parvathi Kumar is a fine art & documentary/street photographer with over 35 years of experience. She has received top awards internationally by well-known platforms such as LensCulture, Life Framer, Exibart, Street Photography Gallery and Pure Street Photography. She exhibits globally, and has been a finalist for Women Street Photographers, Rome Photo Lab, Istanbul Street Photo Festival, Brussels Street Photo Festival, and more. She had feature solo exhibits at the Hunterdon Art Museum, NJ in 2024 and the Visual Arts Center of NJ in 2022. She authored and published a photo book Everyday Blackness: Celebrating Exceptional Women in 2021, and her work has been published in The Pictorial List, ephemere, Free Film USA, Docu, and the British Journal of Photography. She is active in her local NJ art community, curating exhibits, giving workshops and collaborating with other media artists. www.parvathikumar.com | Instagram: @parvathi_kumar_photography

Nupur Nishith is a USA-based, award-winning artist, curator, globally recognized speaker of Mithila/Madhubani art, and founder of Creative Mithila. Inspired by India’s ancient folk traditions, she bridges heritage and contemporary expression through a multidisciplinary practice spanning paintings, murals, installations, and digital media. Her work has been exhibited and awarded internationally, including MoMA-curator–selected juried shows, major museums, and global institutions such as the United Nations. As a curator, she has led numerous traditional and contemporary art exhibitions, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and expanding the visibility of folk and contemporary voices. Signature public art projects, including her hand painted piano for Sing for Hope has been showcased at distinguished locations in New York and San Francisco, with prominent media coverage. Through Creative Mithila, exhibitions, and lectures worldwide, Nupur continues to strategically position Mithila/Madhubani art within the global contemporary art landscape. www.creativemithila.com | Instagram: @creativemithila

• Work must not have been shown before at any S4A exhibitions.
• Submit up to 3 pieces in any medium (drawing, watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, photography, digital art, beadwork, pyrography, fabric art, sculptures, ceramics, etc). There is limited space for 3D works. All styles of art are allowed, from traditional Indian forms to contemporary.
• 2D work dimensions allowed: max width 24″, max height 60″ edge-to-edge, including any mat & framing (please give dimensions of final piece presented)
• 3D work dimensions allowed: there are 4 podiums with 12” bases; two larger pieces can be shown at the ends of two bars in the lobby. If anyone has a much larger piece, you need to provide a stand.

• If selected, place a label on the back of your piece with name, art title and phone number.
• All works must be ready for professional display with appropriate hanging hardware and wiring. If you are unsure, please ask.
• Approximately 35-40 works (both 2D and 3D) will be selected. Not all work submitted may be selected.
• Upload image files as JPEG or PNG format, high resolution, max file size 1 MB.

• No use of AI.
• No sadistic art or nudity. This is a family-friendly exhibit.
• No files with watermarks, borders or signatures.
• No copies of existing art; work must be original and created by the artist.

• Sales: MPAC takes 20% of any sales and will send a check directly to the artist. MPAC does not collect sales tax and artist is responsible for payment of any sales tax.
• All images may be used for promo and publicity purposes online/offline.
• Works must be insured by the artist.

Any questions, please email: artists.s4a@gmail.com

Thank you for participating!