Salma Arastu

Born: Ajmer, India.
Education:

• B.F.A. Jawaharlal University, Hyderabad, India.
• Fellowship at MS University, Baroda, India.
• Associate degree from Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA.

Residence: 33 Moss Avenue Apt.# 103, Oakland, CA 94610
Citizenship: U.S.A.

• 2008 February: Hot Mango Pickle gallery in Palo Alto, CA
• 2007 October: Monsoon Galleries, Bethlehem, PA
• 2007 April: Chandler Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• 2006 September: Artjaz Gallery in Philadelphia, PA
• 2005 September: Monsoon Galleries at Bethlehem, PA
• 2005 September: The Hope Horn Gallery Scranton University, Scranton PA
• 2005 April: Penn State University gallery at Berks campus Reading PA
• 2005 February: Radford University Art Museum, Radford Uni. Radford,VA
• 2004 May: The Art Alliance, Cornwell, Upstate New York
• 2004 April: Gelabert Studios Gallery, New York, NY
• 2003 April: Artjaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
• 2003 April: Black Cultural Center, Lafayette College, and Easton, PA
• 2002 May: Barns and Noble, Broadway, New York
• 2002 April: Open Space Gallery, Allentown, PA
• 2000 September: ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
• 2000 June: Sweet cream cafe gallery, Strousburg, PA
• 2000 An Invitational exhibition of paintings and six-week residency program in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. 15th March 2000 to the end of April 2000.
• 1999 Reading Art Museum. Reading, PA
• 1998 Art Gallery De Art Magic, Easton, PA
• 1998 Art Heritage, New Delhi, India
• 1998 A Gallery, New York, NY
• 1997 The Gallery at Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA
• 1997 Hub Gallery, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA
• 1993 Design Accent, Allentown, PA.
• 1992 Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA.
• 1992 Powers Art Gallery, East Strousburg University, PA.
• 1991 Fine Arts Commission, Rotunda Gallery, Bethlehem, PA.
• 1989 Springer Gallery, Allentown, PA.
• 1989 DuBois Gallery & Display Cases Maginnes Hall, Lehigh University,
• 1989 John's United Church of Christ, Kutztown, PA. East Penn Emerging Art 1986 Boushari Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
• 1973-1986Several solo shows in India, Kuwait and Iran before coming to US in 1987.

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• 2006-2007 Four Travelling exhibitions by Minority Arts Council, PA
• 2006 Nov 28-Dec.15 Eyes on me Portraits of Muslim Women, Gruss Center of Visual Arts, The Lawrenceville School, New Jersey
• December: In a state of emergency Alwan for the Arts, New York
• 2005 Lehigh University Museum Galleries, Spring Show
• 2005 Art of the State,Museum of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
• 2004 May: State College gallery, State College, PA
• 2004 Art of the State,Museum of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
• 2003: Jan 27 th - Feb 22 nd “ Muslim women Artists” aRamona Gallery, NY, NY
• 2003 Feb- April “ Muslim Women Artist” Anne Fisher Gallery, Washington,
• 2003 Art of the State,Museum of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
• 2003 July: Berks Art Alliance, Reading Museum, Reading, PA
• 2002 October: Book Exhibit, Museum of Contemporary Art, Costa Rica
• 2002 August: Music through Art, Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA
• 2002 September: Diversity Art Gallery, Clark, NJ
• 2002 July: Berks Art alliance, Reading Art Museum, Reading, PA
• 2001 September: Artjaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
• 2001-2003 National Acrylic show, Salmagundi club, New York, NY
• 2001 Open space gallery national show “guys and dolls” Allentown, PA
• 2001-2001 Annual juried exhibition, The State Museum of PA, Harrisburg, PA
• 2001 Miniature art show, Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA
• 1999 Mayfair Annual Show, Allentown, PA .
• 1999 M A C Show at The Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Cheltenham, PA
• 1999 M A C show at Ramsey's II, Pittsburgh, PA
• 1999 Invitational show at United Nation's Turkish Plaza, New York, NY
• 1997 Asian American Arts Center, New York, NY
• 1997 Gallery at 678, New York City, NY
• 1997 CCC Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
• 1997 Minority Arts Council Show, Philadelphia, PA
• 1997 Museum of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
• 1997 Doshi Center for Contemporary Art, Harrisburg, PA
• 1997 Permanent Mission of India, New York ,NY
• 1997 Allentown Art Museum, Allentown , PA
• 1996 Very Special Arts, Washington, DC
• 1996 Main Street Gallery, Nyack, NY
• 1996 Bixlers Gallery, Strousburg, PA
• 1995 Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA.
• 1994 Museum Of Natural History, New York. NY.
• 1994 Ceres Art Gallery, New York, NY.
• 1994 La Mama La Gallery, New York, NY.
• 1999 -2004 Mayfair Annual juried show, Allentown, PA
• 1993-2004- Small works Exhibitions, New Arts Program, Kutztown, PA.
• 1990-2004 Annual shows of Lehigh Art Alliance, Lehigh Valley, PA.

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• 2004First place award at NE Pennsylvania juried art show in October 2004 at Marywood University plus an award show offered at the Hope Horn Gallery at Scranton University, PA in Fall of 2005
• 2004 First place, Lehigh Art Alliance Annual Show, Bethlehem, PA
• 2001 Honorable mention at Reading art Museum for Berks Art Alliance Show 2001 Honorable mention at Harrisburg Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA
• 2000 Quakertown National Bank award, Lehigh Art Alliance show,Bethlehem. 1995 Second Prize in Works on Paper, Appearances & West Village Coalition's Juried Show on American Crafts & Works on Paper, Soho, NY.
• 1995 Second Place in painting,1995, West Park Civic Association, Allentown.
• 1992 Best Of Category Award at Easton Hospital's Annual Show
• 1988 Best Painting Award from Northampton Community College, Bethlehem.
• 1980 First Place award in Painting, AP Lalit Kala Academy, India.
• 1979 First Place award in Painting at Bhartiya Kala Parishad, India
• 1973 Scholarship Award to study Masters Program at MS University, India.
• 1974 First award in Graphics, Gujrath Lalit Kala academy, India.

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• Museum Of Modern Art, Hyderabad, India.
• Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
• National Gallery Of Art, New Delhi, India.
• Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA
• PP & L,Allentown Spring Health Clinic, Bethlehem
• State Museum of the Art, Harrisburg, PA
• Health Spring Bethlehem,PA
• In USA, more than 100 paintings in private collections.

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• September awarded residency fellowship to work at Vermont studios,
• Vermont
• 2000 In March of 2000, Salma Arastu was selected to go over to Schwabisch Gmund, Germany for six weeks artist residency program. Where apart from having an exhibition, she taught in schools too.
• 2001 January 2001, invited to make a print at Lafayette College's Experimental printmaking workshop for “ Lehigh Valley Fine artists portfolio”. A group of 13 artists participated.
• 2001 Attended a Book making workshop for exchange of artists program in collabration of Banana Factory/Lafayette College EPI Easton PA, in July .
  The Book Exhibition is being shown in Bethlehem, PA, Pittsburg, PA, Costa Rica in 2002. Then it travels to London and Japan in year 2003.

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• Kristin E. Holmes: Art aiming to bring diverse people to one God: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA January 11 th 2004.
• Lee Klien: Art on the eve of destruction: PAJ 75/ MIT Press Journal, September 2003
• Diana Cercone: The Featured Artist, Art Matters, Philadelphia, PA
• Lee Klein: This is the one- NY Arts magazine May 2002 issue
• Al Zagofsky: The Lyrical line and the women - Times News Lehighton, PA April 13 2002
• Geoff Gehman: Lyrical pilgrimages, rituals are Arastu's palette- The Morning Call Allentown, PA 11th April 2002
• Ken Endick: The Express Times, Easton PA February 2002
• Tony Z : After 9/11 show The Morning Call, Allentown, PA February 2002
• Charlotta Kotik: Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum of art: Salma Arastu, Traditional and Contemporary Imagery- Salma Arastu: Recent Paintings Catalog from Art Heritage, New Delhi, India, March 1998.
• Kathryn Williams: Salma Arastu finds American niche with acrylics, greeting cards - Inside the arts , Lehigh Valley, PA, May/June 1999.
• Geoff Gehman: In Easton, graceful illusions by Salma arastu - The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, June 27, 1998.
• Ken Endick: Islamic Influences - Express Times, Easton, PA, June 12, 1998.
• Geoff Gehman: Mythic Image could create legends of its own- The Morning Call, Allentown,PA, January 29, 1998.
• Kenneth J. Endick: New art show focuses on “Mythic Imagery”- The Express Times Easton, PA, January 30, 1998.
• Lavina Melwani: Guided by the Unseen , Art in India Magazine - Mumbai, India, April 1998.
• Patricia Summers: .... Art Matters, Philadelphia, PA, June 1998.
• Isadore LaDuca: At De Arte Magic, Irregular , Easton, PA, June 3rd 1998.
• Lavina Melwani: A Bite of the Big Apple, India Today, North American Special, February 23rd, 1998.
• Asia Observer : Admirable Fusion of Grace & Energy... New York, NY, January 29, 1998.
• News India- Times: Kamlesh Arastu's Exhibition at A Gallery, New York, NY, February 6, 1998.
• The Globe Times: Bethlehem, PA, August 1990.
• Joan Campion: Artist's Universe is a place of swirling motion..., Free Press - , PA, 22nd Dec. 1989.
• Geoff Gehman: Artist Arastu tunes her work to dance of life . The Morning Call Allentown, PA, March, 1989.
• Mary Manotta: her abstracts reflect Nature- The Globe Times, Bethlehem, PA, March 23rd, 1989.
• Lavina Melwani: Catching the fleeting moment - India Worldwide, New York, NY, March 1989.
• Tim Higgins: Open Space group show has Variety and vitality - The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, October 6, 1988.
• Promila Sharma: No halt in Salma's world - Kuwait Times, Kuwait, February 2nd, 1984.
• Fatima Ahmed: Painting is a way of life for Salma - Arab Times, Kuwait, February 3rd, 1984.
• Susan Litherland: Salma's art reflects dramatic movement - Kuwait Times, Kuwait, January, 1986
• Keshav Malik: An Outstanding work by Kamlesh - The Times of India, New Delhi, India, September 26, 1979.
• Swadesh Arora: Rhythmic Paintings - The Evening News, New Delhi, India, September 26, 1979.
• Kayhan International: Tehran, Iran, September 13, 1977.
• Tehran Journal: Tehran, Iran, August 20, 1978.
• Tehran Journal: Tehran, Iran October 26, 1978.
• Kayhan International: Tehran, Iran, October 19, 1978.
• A fervent Artist: The Hindu, Hyderabad, India, February 7, 1975.
• The Deccan Chronicle: Striking Paintings by Kamlesh - Hyderabad, India, February 5, 1975.
• Art Critic: The Statesman, Calcutta, India, April 2, 1973.

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Since January 2007 , she owns studio at 2547 8th street, Studio# 31, Berkeley, CA 94710

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Salma Arastu's work in the area of Islamic Arts & Calligraphy has been extensive since last ten years. Inspired by the spirituality in lyrical quality of Calligraphy and continuous movements of Arabesque designs she has created many paintings, which have been used in the form of Islamic Greeting Cards line. As a women entrepreneur, she started “ Your True Greetings” in order to serve the American Muslim Communities with the design and manufacture of Greeting Cards, Islamic Stationery, Calligraphy Posters and Calendars. Today the business is well established and well received by Muslim Communities in America, Canada, Japan and United Kingdom.

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