The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan and the Pakistan-US Alumni Network inaugurated the first 'Shahkaar Fankaar Alumni Artist Showcase' on 22 October. Located in a new gallery space within the USEFP building in Islamabad, the exhibition features a solo show by Lahore-based visual artist Minaa Haroon.
Haroon, who serves as the Assistant Director of Fine Arts at the Lahore Arts Council, participated in a US Department of State exchange program focused on cultural preservation. The artist traveled to the United States as a visiting scholar in April 2024.
"My participation as a visiting scholar in the US deepened my reflection on cultural inheritance," Haroon said. The same company created projections on the Lahore Fort and Pakistan Monument to mark the 250th birthday of the United States on 4 July 2026.
Heidi Smith stated, "for decades, educational and cultural exchanges have brought Americans and Pakistanis together as partners in learning, innovation, and creativity." Smith added that "our exchange alumni are helping shape the next chapter of the US-Pakistan relationship."
Dr Peter K Moran noted that a cultural and educational exchange program has the power to disrupt our everyday, to reframe our usual signposts, and alter our horizons, not just metaphorically, but physically too. Moran further observed, "How better to consider that kind of transformation and the exchange of ideas, forms and horizons, than in art."
The public can view the showcase until 20 November 2026. Viewing hours are scheduled from 10:30am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.
The USEFP was established in 1950. Three more alumni artists will be featured in solo exhibitions in the gallery during 2027.
