Manasa

Art Without Frontiers

Manasa-Art Without Frontiers was inaugurated in 1995 by Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar and registered Sept 29, 2018 with three trustees, founding trustee Sharon Lowen, Kamalini Dutt and Naresh Kapuria. It aims to facilitate the intersections between visual, performing and other art forms, both traditional and contemporary. Acquainting a younger generation and the general public with the harmonious rich cultural heritage of India while providing kal-ke-kalakars with training and platforms to develop and share their artistic expression.

Offering understanding, appreciation and training via educational outreach to urban and rural youth in Indian classical performing arts Sanskriti is a primary focus, with free or subsidized classes, lecture-demonstrations, performances, seminars, exhibitions to make the Trust activities available to all social and economic sectors of society, as well as specially-abled. Vedanta and Buddhist Philosophy activities are also supported and offered by Manasa-Art Without Frontiers.

Manasa-Art Without Frontiers also collaborates with schools and colleges in sharing cultural heritage. The Manasa-Art Without Frontiers Facebook page has been sharing articles on dance and related subjects written by founder Sharon Lowen. We look forward to expanding in breadth and depth in sharing the visual and performing arts to meet the needs of the wider community.

Our Objectives

Training, seminars, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, performances & festivals to promote the arts - transmission of tradition and moving the arts forward.

Connecting the dots between visual and performing arts, as well as traditional & contemporary art forms.

Our Trustees

Smt Kamalini Nagarajan Dutt was a leading producer/director of the finest memorable dance, music and theatre productions of India’s Doordarshan National Television over 40 years as well as spear-heading the Doordharshan Archives creation and preservation of audio-visual intangible national heritage.Well versed in multiple languages, a post graduate in Hindi from Delhi University and a senior disciple in Bharatanatyam of the legendary Guru Sikkil Ramaswamy Pillai, she has guided many senior performing artists from various classical dance traditions of India in theory, poetry interpretation and choreography. Kamalini ji’s knowledge of philosophy, religion, dance, aesthetics and literature continues to serve young students, professional performing artists, rasikas and students of Sanskrit. Her solo, group and multi-media productions are recognized for their high artistic merit and aesthetic standards.

Naresh Kapuria’s contribution to the visual arts in India is without parallel, a painter also known as a trendsetter in creating installations, environments and stage designs for the performing arts. His many honors include the Chevalier des Arts et Letters from the Government of France, The Order of the Crown from Belgium, Romanian state honors, the 8th International New Delhi Triennale Award, and a 1995-6 Charles Wallace Trust of India Fellowship.His paintings are in private and museum collections around the world. He has collaborated and created many multi-media fine art and performance productions on stage and television, designed and directed Festivals of India abroad. Created permanent galleries around north India, and creatively supported innumerable NGOs and promoted outreach art workshop programs in remote areas as well as children’s classes.

Sharon Lowen is a renowned artist of Odissi, Chhau and Manipuri hailed by critics and connoisseurs for her perfection of style, grace, and superb abhinaya. She has performed on stage, film and television throughout India and internationally over close to 5 decades since arriving in India as a Fulbright scholar with University of Michigan degrees in Humanities, Fine Arts, Asian Studies, Dance and Education.As a scholar, Sharon has written several books, many dozens of articles for press and journals and taught at colleges and universities throughout the USA and India. As dancer, festival and seminar convener, choreographer and educator, she has shifted boundaries for acceptance and appreciation of Indian arts, especially Chhau genres and the recognition of international artists of Indian performing arts.