CHICAGO: Government of India has signed an MOU with prestigious AIC for “Vivekananda Memorial Program for Museum Excellence” India will give $500,000 to AIC to conduct “Vivekananda Memorial Program for Museum Excellence” under which AIC will work with India Government to impart a broad range of knowledge on modern operations of museums like conservation, planning of exhibitions, etc., for a four year period.
Pranab Mukherjee dedicated a plaque of Swami Vivekananda at AIC and inaugurated a Tagore art exhibition here, to mark the 150th birth anniversaries of Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore. “Swami Vivekananda was practically India’s first cultural ambassador to United States,” he said at Fullerton Hall, where Vivekananda had delivered the famous and historic address at the Parliament of the World Religions in 1893 to tremendous applause. “This plaque fulfills our commitment and executes the long-cherished desire of people of India,” he added.
Mukherjee thanked AIC president Douglas Druick for his cooperation in setting up the Chair. The minister also cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony of Tagore’s paintings called “The Last Harvest”. “His (Tagore’s) paintings and drawings remain fresh even today,” Mukherjee said. Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao also spoke of Vivekananda’s contribution to the merger. “Swami Vivekananda marked the beginning of East-West global dialogue,” Rao said.
AIC is also planning to spend USD 175,000 for India in planning of exhibitions and conservation techniques. Chicago already has a Swami Vivekananda Way, a 10-feet bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda, and a bronze plaque in AIC to commemorate his historic address in that building. He was offered chairmanship of Eastern philosophy at famous Harvard University (USA) which he declined. About 16 million Americans practice yoga now and it is about six billion dollars annual industry.
AIC, one of the major art museums of the world, has already developed a “lesson plan” for classroom activity in which students of 4-8 grades solve a global issue by taking the role of one of Hindu deity Vishnu’s avatars (incarnations).Founded in 1879 as both a museum and school, AIC’s collection now encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world, and the school’s graduate program is continually ranked as one of the best in the country. Thomas J. Pritzker is Board of Trustees Chairman while Douglas Druick is President.
Surendra Ullal
