Fine Arts Center hosts Ranjanaa Devi and Frederick Tillis along with the fifteen participants of the Arts in India Tour 2002 are starting their New Year off with an adventure exploring the new and old of a country possessing a wealth of sights, sounds, tastes, and textures. India is an intricate tapestry of diverse art forms, architecture, traditions, cultures, and landscapes. Arts in India 2002 is a unique experience for its participants to understand with their own senses the beauty and complexity of Indian culture through its arts. As you are reading this, the tour participants, students and community members of the Pioneer Valley, may be strolling through colorful bazaars in Old Delhi, standing on the bank of the Yamuna River admiring the Taj Mahal, or enjoying a performance of Indian classical dance at the Temples of Khjuraho.

The itinerary covers so many places, and in each city Ranjanaa, an expert in Indian Arts and Culture, has organized a variety of cultural and entertainment activities including visits to museums, art galleries, monuments, bazaars, concerts and the opportunity to meet with local artists, crafters, teachers and scholars. Some of the participants shared a few words of anticipation with Spotlight before they left, but because there are so many highlights on the itinerary, choosing just one was virtually impossible. Everyone seemed most excited about simply being there to experience everything that is available and having their minds opened to new notions, thoughts, and creative aspirations. Most of us have probably seen at least one example of Indian art here in the U.S. But, as Jessica Maya Marglin, an Amherst native who is joining the tour from Orissa where she is currently studying Indian dance responds, "seeing the art and performances in their original habitat gives it all a more meaningful context."

Be sure to check in with the Asian Dance and Music Program when they return from their hiatus as well as the next issue of Spotlight for stories and pictures from the Arts in India Tour 2002.