Fourth Annual Mithila Festival USA to be held in Jackson Heights, NYC

Mithila Center USA, in collaboration with Apan Foundation USA, is preparing to hold the fourth annual Mithila Festival USA from April 14-16, 2023, in New York City. The festival will showcase Mithila art, with a focus on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event, titled “Art for SDGs: The Mithila Heritage,” will feature a virtual art exhibition on April 15, 2023, and an in-person group exhibition with an auction on April 16, 2023, at Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, New York, USA.

The festival's opening ceremony will be held virtually on April 14, 2023, followed by a closing ceremony on April 16 that will include a Kids Art Workshop/Award and a cultural program. The cultural program will celebrate Mithila Folk King Salhesh Jayanti, New Year, and Jude Sheetal/Jur Sital Festival. Mithila Center USA has announced the selected participating artists for the event, all of whom are from Nepal, India, and the USA.

The festival has nine selected participating artists, eight of whom are female, while one is male. These artists are Bhagwati Singh, Pooja Singh, Shailo Yadav, Shaily Jha, Shivangi Singh, Shyam Sundar Yadav, Sumintra Yadav, Sunaina Karn, and Usha Karn. According to Amit Pratap, the founding president and community organizer of Mithila Center USA, the festival is an effort to showcase SDGs through Mithila art, and the focus of this year's exhibition is SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Mithila culture is a unique blend of ancient Nepali and Indian culture, with the epic Ramayana and other Hindu literature at its core. The Mithila culture is considered a living culture, as people from Nepal, India, and other countries belonging to the Mithila community embrace its cultural values and practices in their daily life. The largest number of Mithila community people live in New York and New Jersey in the USA.

Mithila art is well-known around the world. Mithila paintings have been in existence for centuries, with a great contribution from female artists. The art form traditionally narrates mythological and religious events and is also used for decoration as well as social commentary. Recently, Mithila paintings have gained popularity as a contemporary and collectible art form, with artists painting on rough handmade paper that is similar in texture to mud hut walls. Mithila art has opened up a new industry for women in impoverished rural communities.

The Mithila Festival USA 2023 Art for SDGs is expected to attract art enthusiasts and members of the Mithila community from around the world. The event will provide a platform to showcase Mithila heritage and promote United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular emphasis on gender equality.