starting a revolution

A second-generation Iranian, and a Texan who fell in love with Persian culture. This was the recipe that came together to start a new revolution in New York called the Persian Arts Festival.

Mona Kayhan and Angela Huffstutler are the creative force behind this promising new event, planned for after the Persian Day Parade.

As Manhattan prepares for Norooz, these two young women have rallied a whole group of people to organize the biggest and most magnificent Arts Festival Manhattan has ever seen.

Here, some questions about how it all started.

PersianMirror: Can you tell us a little about yourself.

Mona Kayhan: I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. Both of my parents were born and raised in Tehran, and actually met in the States. I had the basics of Persian culture growing up: Chelo kabob, Aide dance parties, full blown Persian weddings, etc. However, I never got the chance to go to Iran. Therefore, as I went away to school and carried on with my own life, I really missed the parts of the culture that were “home” to me.

Angela Huffstutler: I grew up in Austin, TX, a very diverse, beautiful oasis of the South. I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, with a focus on international law & politics. Professionally, I have many years of administration, marketing, graphic and art design, broadcasting and promotion, working in corporate, non-profit & private companies. I've worked in retail, public broadcasting, syndicated radio, record industry. My creative talents include graphics, jewelry design and photography.

PM: How did you two meet?

MK: I love telling this story. Angela and I both work at an independent record label called Putumayo World Music. One night, we hit it off at a world music festival. The next day, at the office, she abruptly emailed me, “By the way, are you Persian?”. I said, “Yes! How did you know?”. Before I knew it, she came frolicking down the hall towards my cubicle with her red hair billowing in the stagnant office breeze shouting, “Che to ree?” My mouth just fell open. It's not every day you see a red-head with freckles babbling in Farsi! It was history from there!

AH: That was here in New York. I love working with Mona, we've accomplished a lot together in a matter of one year, it's serendipitous, auspicious.

PM: Whose idea was it to do the Persian Arts Festival and how did it go from an idea to the real event?

MK: It was actually my idea. I was in the midst of taking an interesting course where we got to create a community project we had always wanted to do. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted something in NYC that tied the Persian culture together, something that celebrated its beauty and wonder. Knowing Angela was a huge fan of the culture, I ran the idea by her, and she was hooked. We then continued to share the vision with others which has resulted in the creation of a mini-team of people just as passionate about the project as we are. The response we have gotten has been overwhelmingly positive and clear that NYC has been craving something like this for a long time.

AH: We became “partners in crime” if you will. She enlisted me and it was a big idea with the goal of celebrating and sharing the culture.

PM: What are some of the different pieces of the festival?

MK: The festival has some very exciting pieces. We have attempted to represent major areas of Persian art and culture, including film, painting, photography, multi-media art, traditional Persian music, contemporary Persian music, literature, arts and crafts for kids, etc. The Amir Vahab ensemble give a fabulous rendition of the beauty of traditional Persian music, while the group 127, based in Tehran, bring the underground music scene of Iran to the table.

The art that will be displayed is tremendous and is themed around Persian culture as well. Films also include “Babak and Friends - A First Norooz”, an adorable animated film, and an advanced promotional viewing of an incredible documentary on the Iranian youth movement, called “Nobody's Enemy”, by Neda Sarmast. 127 is actually featured in this film.

PM: Who is your target audience and who are you hoping will make it to the show?

AH: Our target audience is truly varied. This festival is intended for Persians and non-Persians of all ages. We have been pleasantly surprised at the response by the non-Persian community, especially. They seem to be very intrigued and excited to experience and learn more about the culture. New York city is a great place to bring culture to the masses. People want to learn and the city is ideal for it.

PM: Why are you doing this?

MK: We want the Persian community to come together through one of the most basic and fundamental beauties of our culture: the art! We also want to introduce the NYC community at large to the Persian culture, and give them another perspective that politics and media tend to overlook. We also wanted a way to support Persian artists and musicians.

PM: How much money are you looking to raise and where who will benefit from it?

AH: In order for this festival to be what we want it to be, we need to raise about $10,000. We are in the midst of setting ourselves up as a non-profit, and all of the money is going directly to the artists, the venue, administrative costs, and promotional costs. Anything left over will be used to help fund next year's Persian Arts Festival! We are here to stay!

For more on the Persian Arts Festival, go to www.persianartsfestival.org.