Beside being referred to as an Architect, Artist,
Author, Writer, Poet, International Citizen, Hoosier
Sikh, and Community Volunteer over the years, I have
had the distinct honor to be an passionte advocate:
Advocate for Architerctual and Cultural Presevation
as our common heritage; Identification, Recognition,
and Celebration of all forms and spectrums of Human
Diversity as our new frontier of incredible opportunity;
Creating a place for Arts, Culture, and Matters of
Spirit in our lives and Community Fabric; Building
Bridges and Sharing Ideas to improve our Race and
Community Relations; expanding Multi-Cultural Perspective
and Interfaith Dialogue for much-needed and welcome
understanding and to dispel ignorance, issues of mistaken
identity, cultural violence and hate crimes; and together
enhancing our individual and collective gifts and
create a greater sense of our well-being and peace.
I consider all of these as "New Frontiers at
our Doorsteps." Our challenge is to discover
and harness their full power and promise for the benefit
of our communities and humanity. We have a great opportunity
to participate and witness this emerging new Renaisance
of Spirit for our times. Who could have imagined that
we would be at our present unimagined crossroads?
Now, we can see daring new thresholds awaiting to
be crossed to yet other areas of the undreamt and
impossible, perhaps within the lifetime of our children.
Our tryst with destiny is full of hope and we have
the privilege to invest our talents and labors, heart
and soul, and vision and wisdom to usher a new American
dawn for generations that follow us.
The strides that we have together made testify to
our commitment. Each of us have something to give.
I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity
to share my gifts and spirit and for the response
that I have received from the community and state
that I have served. I have been in the USA since 1965
and a proud resident of Indiana since 1967.
I have had my share of tough times along the way and
so also memorable moments being the receipient of
the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest award conferred
by the State of Indiana on its citizens, the International
Citizen of the Year, and invitation to share my artwork
and writings in a book: The Art and Spirit of K.P.
Singh. I am grateful for my journey and look to the
future with contagious optimism.
Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
www.KPSinghDesigns.com
KP" Singh write
every week for:
ONE BOOK, ONE CITY: INDY'S 25 SELECTION
Discovering Reflections in
The ART and SPIRIT of K.P. SINGH
Let your imagination stretch
beyond the fathomable,
Your mind study the wisdom of Ages and cultures,
Your gifts and endeavors shape the moment and the
Eternity.
Let your spirit witness the splendor and Majesty in
the Divine,
Your heart listen to the universal songs of the Soul,
Your prayers and meditations honor the Sacred in each
living being.
Love, Hope, and Serve in
Faith.
Recognize "God's Light in all living beings".
Celebrate Life as an offering to our Creator,
Witness God's Light and blessings manifested all around.
As you study and enjoy the visual images: drawings,
photographs, and essays in my book:
Imagine and discover the story and script, message
and mysteries, and the universal creative urges and
visions that direct, transcend, and transport the
human imagination and spirit. Witness the enshrined
wisdom, distinct markers, and common thresholds that
reach across cultural and spiritual divide and centuries.
I hope that the beauty and mystique of our treasured
heritage sites and significant architecture will inspire
a renewed interest in this important resource of learning
and building arts. Drawings, composites, and photographs
included in my book serve as a visual showcase of
a few places from around the world, with a special
focus on Indiana landmarks.
As you reflect
on the thoughts, inspirations, and advocacy in my
book:
You are introduced and invited to explore the recurring
themes of UNIVERSALITY, HUMAN DIGNITY and SACRED RIGHTS;
MATTERS of SPIRIT, ARTS, and CREATIVITY; HISTORIC,
ARCHITECTURAL, and CULTURAL PRESERVATION; LEARNING,
UNDERSTANDING, and CELEBRATION of our shared and cherished
visions and heritage.
We must focus beyond our existing community strengths
and the dynamic new passions the "strangers"
from other cultures represent for our future. How
best may the recent immigrants, with support and encouragement
from friends and institutions, contribute to our creative,
cultural, and spiritual energy and cherished community
goals?
In sharing our individual and collective Light and
Labors in a kindred spirit, we are certain to enhance
the promise and gifts of all Americans. The power
of our common cause and the transforming spirit of
our times must triumph over the formidable negative
forces: unfortunate indifference, intolerance and
cultural insensitivity, unpardonable ignorance and
stereotyping, unfriendly attitudes and discrimination
of yesterday. Guided by an inspired mind, we must
travel towards our destined and unimagined dreams
past the barriers and boundaries that often separate
us from one another. Advance and capture the true
promise and possibilities of our time. We must acknowledge,
embrace, and restore ideas that dignify life and tradition.
Embellish human landscape and spirit with new wisdom,
fascinating creativity, and diverse experiences.
Our traditions, culture, and spirit are a formidable
life-force. They shape our persona: character, spirit,
and perceptions. As the sacred and defining essentials
of our humanity, our spirit offers reflections of
our soul. Absence and danger to our cultural and spiritual
foundation diminishes us. Every living being deserves
the basic dignity and respect, and an unconditional
assurance of just and precious sacred and cultural
essentials. We cannot survive on less!
We must recognize the presence of colorful spectrums
of culture in the arts and architecture around us.
Visual storyboards of events and mythology adorning
our "temple facades", "cultural courtyards",
sacred "sites and spaces", historic "caves
and canyons", and exalted "cathedrals"
of nature were an early attempt at teaching. They
continue to help us understand the diverse and rich
manifestations of the human universe, celestial realms,
and temporal experiences. Historic architecture as
a celebrated artform often offers the only surviving
record of human struggles, adventure, and innovation
from the earliest dawn of life. Architectural heritage
is a magnificent "bridge" to other cultures,
traditions, and times. This treasured legacy needs
a safe "home" in our national aesthetic,
cultural, and spiritual fabric.
Today, caravans of ideas are transmigrating as never
before and converging in new promising lands. Human
will and energy is conquering unimagined new frontiers.
We must expand our horizons, creative potential, and
aggressively compete for our share of rewards. We
must build attractive destinations for great talents,
pursue new opportunities, and engage in imaginative
"exchanges" to have a fair chance to excel
in today's global culture and tough marketplace.
Communities today are an emerging "festival"
of diverse cultures and traditions. We are daily discovering
all across the outstretched fields of knowledge, wisdom,
and the arts new ideas, passions, and surprising connections
in the transplanted inspirations left behind by generations
and cultures before us. In this Space and Information
Age, ever-changing interconnected world, we need to
redefine our national visions and direction. Discover
and preserve peaceful cultural "sanctuaries"
and build new enlightened "bridges" that
best link our stars to our present reality.
Each of us must ask "what am I willing to share
and sacrifice for my cherished expectations from life"?
If the ideas in my book resonate with yours, then
let us combine energies and gifts at many levels to
enlarge the "canopy of hope" for all who
share this time and space with us. We may discover
friendly convergence and similar visions in many areas.
Other fronts may offer distinct differences and sound
alternatives. We cannot simply ignore or dismiss unfamiliar
perspectives.
Let us search for common elements amidst our cultural
uniqueness and diversity, work towards reconciling
differences, and carefully integrate the best ideas
into our shared visions. What we do at this moment
in history may leave some lasting imprints on the
future shape and strength of our national fabric.
Imaginative, responsible, and courageous choices will
benefit all citizens.
We must build new kinds of community structures and
cultural "edifice:
Where the best and brightest ideas lead and guide
our spirit and imagination,
Where divisive distractions do not intrude and trespass
into our vital common interests,
Where dispelling unfounded doubts and ignorance about
fellow humans is a sacred passion,
Where discovering our shared heritage and cultural
legacy is a cherished destination.
Where safeguarding the rights of all citizens is a
solemn commitment,
Where striving for the greater good of others is a
singular promise.
Where the arts enjoy a special place in our cultural,
spiritual, and urban fabric
Where "monuments" are not just buildings
but ideas that grace and lift the human spirit;
In America, a long-awaited "Renaissance of
Promise" is in the making:
The unexpected and unimagined is possible here.
Labor and creativity, without distinction are rewarded.
Great dreams are invented and given shape.
We take pride in this eternally optimistic challenge:
Come, create your own destiny; expand the American
promise.
My life is a living testimony that American "promise"
rewards many visions and endeavors. Each immigrant
that arrived on these shores over the past five centuries
was a dreamcatcher, a discoverer, an explorer, and
a trailblazer. Our generation is no exception. We
are all sons and daughters of those daring souls who
set out to find the New World on a wing and prayer.
Just look around and imagine what hardships they must
have endured to create our world. You can hear the
echoes and evidence of their bravery and sacrifice
in our legends, ballads, and books.
We have carried their dreams and dared our own to
unimagined dimensions and abundance.
Yet, we all know that there is much work ahead to
make Life beautiful for all God's children. God Almighty
has entrusted us with boundless gifts, an adventurous
spirit, and spacious skies. Each of us can contribute
towards our shared dreams, destiny, and peace and
make a difference.
The Art and Spirit of K.P. Singh is my prayer and
song that I do my part.
