Sangam Arts Awarded $75,000 in Grants; Will Help Bridge Cultural Communities in Silicon Valley


SAN JOSE, Calif., March 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sangam Arts today announced that it is the recipient of two prestigious grants for Mosaic Silicon Valley, its initiative to increase multicultural understanding through the arts. The grants include $50,000 from the Knight Foundation and $25,000 from the Applied Materials Foundation.

The grants have been awarded for funding collaborations among highly accomplished artists from diverse communities in San Jose. The works created by these commissions will be presented at various venues in Silicon Valley in early 2019, culminating in the Mosaic Silicon Valley festival in the spring. The festival will showcase the unique creative culture of Silicon Valley, featuring performing arts, visual arts, food, and arts and crafts. 

“Mosaic Silicon Valley is a grassroots initiative launched by Sangam Arts to help strengthen our rapidly diversifying communities through collaborative, multicultural arts,” said the organization’s co-founder Usha Srinivasan, who also serves as president of Sangam Arts. “America is a melting pot and Silicon Valley needs a new model that accounts for the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity among the second wave of immigrants who, thanks to ease of travel and communication, maintain strong ties with their countries of origin and are keen to retain their unique cultural identities while cherishing their American homeland.”

“Few things bring people together as the arts do, something particularly important in a community as diverse as San Jose. We’re excited to see how these performances and exhibitions are experienced, and the impact they have on the community at large,” said Victoria Rogers, vice president for arts at the Knight Foundation.

Siobhan Kenney, executive director of the Applied Materials Foundation, shared “The Applied Materials Foundation believes in supporting the vibrancy of the arts and culture scene in our communities. We are pleased to provide financial assistance for this new effort by Sangam Arts to increase cross-cultural awareness and appreciation through the arts.”

The Mosaic team hopes to bolster the momentum generated at the Festival through additional programs in public spaces and museums.

About Sangam Arts
Founded in 2013, Sangam Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides an innovative platform for artists from diverse backgrounds to come together to collaborate and co-create world-class music and dance performances. Using a wide range of cultural and artistic expressions, our presentations are carefully curated to help us see our common humanity while allowing us to celebrate the traits that make us unique. Sangam Arts’ unique approach and reputation for quality programming have helped us gain support grantors and foundations such as the Office of Cultural Affairs, City of San Jose, SVCreates and the Knight Foundation. Mosaic America is a grassroots initiative founded by Sangam Arts and focused on strengthening rapidly diversifying communities across the U.S. through multicultural collaborative arts.  For more, visit sangamarts.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.

About The Applied Materials Foundation
The Applied Materials Foundation, a California nonprofit corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, was established in 1994 by Applied Materials, Inc., the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. The Foundation's mission is to make a positive social contribution in regions where Applied Materials employees work and live through philanthropic investments in the areas of education, civic development, arts and culture, and the environment.

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Neal Leavitt
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