Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation has launched 'IndiArt'- An Art contest for local kids with a global minds! IndiArt is designed to enable children from the New England area to use their art to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children in India. This year prominent New England Artists, have come on board as Art Ambassadors. Today we feature Dr Java Joshi.

Dr. Java Joshi - Java holds a PhD in Drawing and Painting from India and a Masters in Multi-media and web design from Art Institute of Atlanta.

Java’s work has been featured at many national and international art shows. She has held many solo and group exhibitions both in India and here in US. Java is also an active member of Lexington Art community and serves on the core committee for Lexington Open Studios. In addition to fine arts, Java has also been involved with theatre since childhood and has acted in 50+ plays, short films etc.  She comes from a theatre family and her parents have been doing theatre for over 45 years in India.

1. Please tell us about your involvement with Art.

I have been inclined towards creative arts since childhood. I started painting at a very early age and had held my first exhibition at the age of 13.  Growing up watching other kids wanting to become doctors and engineers – I felt the need to push myself there… but then soon realized that I was an artist at heart… so I pursued education in Fine Arts and earned gold medal in Masters and a PhD in Fine Arts  with focus on Drawing & Painting.

I came to US to pursue Masters while I was working on my PhD in parallel. I wanted to combine my creative abilities with technology which Art Institute of Atlanta allowed me to explore in their Multimedia and Web Design program. I have worked at various organizations and advertising agencies as designer and creative director. After a short break with kids – I went all-in to follow my passion of painting. I am a creative spirit that enjoys expressing primarily with oil on canvas and sometimes with acrylic and pencil sketches.

From art perspective, I have had the privilege of representing our country and our art in various national and international forums.  I have had many solo and group painting exhibitions. I am an impressionist and have done landscapes, abstract and theme based collections. What I love most about my work is expressing myself using vibrant colors and spreading the love for art in little kids.

To follow my passion of sharing the love for art and teaching, we founded Academy of Creative Arts – Academy of Creative Arts is a school of arts where various different forms creative and performing arts such as drawing, painting, dance, music etc. are taught under one roof in Burlington. Within a year it has grown into having 14+ different programs such as art, Kathak dance, Bollywood dance,  Bhangra, Photography, Jewelry Design, Henna/Mehndi, Public Speaking, Theatre/Acting, Piano/Guitar/Western Vocals by a Berklee grad etc. Recently we collaborated with Shankar Mahadevan to bring best in class music teaching to our academy. Our Academy is the first center in United States where Hindustani Vocal, Carnatic Vocal, Grow with Music for kids and Hindi Movie Songs will be taught live in person by Shankar Mahadevan selected, trained and certified instructors locally at the Academy. Our Academy is now an approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to spreading the love for art in the New England area…

I want to dedicate my life to promoting various forms of art and create a platform where best in class artists can share their passion and students/parents can get access and exposure to these fantastic artists and learn art from them.

2. In your view, what is the role of Art in an individuals life/society?

I think each one of us is an artist and everyone has a creative side, some of us are fortunate and get to follow our passion…

Art I believe is very important for every human being as it integrates mind, body and spirit. Art provides a medium for self-expression and creates awareness of multiple perspectives. Art allows you to say what cannot be said…

In fact, Art is the only language people speak that cuts across racial, cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers and enhances cultural appreciation and awareness. The fine arts also provide learners with non-academic benefits such as promoting self-esteem, motivation, aesthetic awareness, cultural exposure, creativity, improved emotional expression, as well as social harmony and appreciation of diversity. These are the very fibers of the fabric known as our culture.

All statistics aside – Art I believe is a way for people to really connect with their inner world. There is a sense of satisfaction, sense of peace… Overall, I feel art makes us all better human beings.

3. How do you manage your time between a full time job, art, and family?

I am glad that I have answered this question already in my life by making my passion my job… ☺

Working for an advertising firm in Boston was fun, but was very difficult for me to feel at peace… I was always juggling to find the balance between creative satisfaction and business pressures… I took a break for couple of years to focus on my kids, after which I decided to follow my passion of painting… I started painting again and exhibiting my work all over US and internationally…

I also have another company focused on web design which also takes time. But now since formation of Academy of Creative Arts, I have been dedicating most of my time to teaching art and bringing various artists together to share their passion/ their art with students/parents in the area. Academy is formed with a vision to bring opportunities to learn from the best in their fields. We want our kids to get exposure to different creative and performing arts and the whole idea behind our Academy is to make it a one-stop-shop for all creative and performing art related needs with the convenience of having it all under one roof.

Honestly, this allows me to do my job and get my kids the art exposure at the same place – so I don’t have to split my time between work and family. I actually can now work with the whole family with me at our Academy. In fact – I now have a much bigger family of kids and parents that I get to spend time with at the Academy and am so thankful to God for providing me with this opportunity.


4. Why did you join Ekal's IndiArt initiative?

I was a part of this initiative last year as well with Jharna Madan. Last year when Jharna discussed the concept and idea behind IndiArt we both got equally excited to make this a reality. After tremendous success of IndiArt last year – with hard work from Jharna, Ranjaniji, Sailajaji and numerous other Ekal family of volunteers its difficult not to be part of this positive and creative movement to make a difference if kids lives. I love the passion and commitment Jharna and Ekal team bring to this and look forward to having yet another super successful “IndiArt” competition.

Also IndiArt combines two of the most important aspects of my life – kids and art. This is a wonderful initiative to raise awareness among the privileged kids and parents here about their underprivileged friends in India. If we can raise awareness and change a few kids lives in India providing them with better education opportunities through Ekal – our goal would be served.

IndiArt is a great concept and way to both raise awareness and funds to help educate the kids in India. If there is anything that has kids and arts at its core – I will always be part of it. ☺


5. Any piece of advice for our young artists?

I would say follow your dreams and be fearless about your expression… Art has no boundaries – let your creative spirits explode and see how it takes you places…


6. In one line define art:… Art is…

God is the creator and when an artist creates something he is as close to god as one can be… so to me “Art is your direct link to God.”

|