The Sikh Foundation has announced of its plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, beginning March 10 with a special exhibit at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum on “Pride and Promise.”.
The golden jubilee celebrations will have three components: A Golden Gala titled, The Pride & Promise will be held at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA, on May 5th, 2017; A Conference: on Advancing Sikhs through Education at Stanford University, CA, has been planned for May 6th & 7th, 2017; and finally, an exhibition, titled “Saints and Kings: Arts, Culture, and Legacy of the Sikhs,” will be on display at the Asian Art Museum through June 18. Portraits and treasures of the 18th century warrior Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be on display. The exhibit will also feature a timeline of the first Indians who arrived in America: pioneering Sikhs, who settled in California’s Central Valley in the early 1900s.
The exhibit will also feature works from Narinder Singh Kapany’s extensive collection of Sikh art. The Indian American physicist, who is known as the “father of fiber optics,” founded the Sikh Foundation in 1967 and currently serves as the organization’s chairman. The display will focus on three themes, among which are a glimpse of the Sikh religion, with a focus on Guru Nanak; and the courtly art of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who unified several small kingdoms into one, with the capital in Lahore. Three portraits of Singh will be on display, along with a large, wooden box inlaid with ivory, and an emerald ring with his inscription.
The 50th year anniversary celebrations of the Sikh Foundation will also feature a series of lectures at Stanford University, and a three-day gala, beginning May 5. Two ministers from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet are expected to attend: Navdeep Singh Bains, minister of science and economic development, and Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan.
The Sikh Foundation is a cultural organization, not religious, said Kapany, adding that he wants Americans to understand the Sikh culture, especially in view of the current xenophobic climate of the country
