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ABOUT SAMSKRITI

Samskriti, meaning ‘cultural tradition’ in Sanskrit, is a non profit arts organization that was established in 1995 with the mission of  becoming an efficient cultural conduit between the East and the West. By presenting world renowned Indian artists to Houston audiences and by promoting cross-cultural programs involving artists from different ethnic backgrounds in meaningful collaborations, Samskriti has more than amply fulfilled its mission in its nearly three decades of service, enriching the Houston arts scene and creating a strong niche for itself in the mainstream.

Samskriti’s programs are both unique in content and outstanding in artistic merit. Programs like The Durga Project by Jonathan Hollander’s New York based Battery Dance Company, Cleveland Cultural Alliance’s The Living Tree, Sheejith Krishna’s Don Quixote and Anita Ratnam’s A Million Sitas, to mention a few, have increased viewers’ appreciation for the performing arts of both the East and the West. Samskriti’s unique shows at the Miller Outdoor Theatre – Incredible India and Bollywood Blast – have attracted large and diverse audiences from all over the city. In addition to commissioning, producing and presenting numerous major shows, Samskriti has organized educational seminars and workshops in traditional as well as contemporary Indian art forms by eminent scholars and artists from different countries. Samskriti has also done many outreach programs in local schools, hospitals, geriatric centers and other community venues, and continues to offer educational performances through the Young Audiences of Houston.

Samskriti’s trail-blazing programs span diverse art forms – dance, music, visual arts and theatre, and it is fortunate to be a recipient of grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and  the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, the BIPOC Arts and Network Fund and Dance Source Houston. Samskriti has also received corporate funding for various programs from Guaranty Bank, Schlumberger, Exxon and Enbridge Inc. Samskriti has presented three dance conferences, North America’s First International Conference on Indian Dance in the Diaspora (2001), First International Kuchipudi Conference in the US (2003) and Indian Dance in a Global Context (2011), with the last two receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and assistance from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations through the Consulate of India in Houston in bringing artist ensembles from India. Samskriti has collaborated with the University of Houston’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Museum of Fine Arts to present three extraordinary international arts conferences – Lesser Known Painting Traditions of India, Miracle on the Mountain: Paintings of the Ajanta Caves, Tanjavur: Confluence of Cultures – with participation by scholars, art historians, choreographers and performers from India, Canada, UK and the US.

A united and dedicated Board has helped propel Samskriti towards earning its current reputation as a strong ethnic arts organization that has kept the folk and traditional arts of India alive in Houston with the culturally rich and high caliber performances that it brings to the city year after year.