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<font size="1" style="line-height:normal"><span style="line-height:13px"><font style="line-height:normal"><span style="line-height:13px"><font style="line-height:normal"><span style="line-height:17px"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height:normal">University YMCA-UIUC</font><br style="line-height:13px">
<font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height:normal">1001 S. Wright St., Champaign</font><br style="line-height:13px"><font face="Verdana" style="line-height:normal;font-weight:inherit;color:rgb(0,104,207)"><a href="http://www.universityymca.org/" target="_blank" style="line-height:13px;font-weight:inherit;color:rgb(0,104,207)">www.universityymca.org</a></font></span></font></span></font></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;text-align:center">PRESS RELEASE/ PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT</span></p>


<h1 align="center" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Please
publicize exhibition period February 28, 2013– April 7, 2013</span></h1>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Art @ the Y announces the opening of Salam Arastu’s ‘Garden
of Verses’</span></b></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">What:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> The University
YMCA announces the opening reception for the new art exhibition, ‘Garden of
Verses’ by Salma Arastu. All art viewing is free to the public and all are
encouraged to attend.</span></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">When:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> Thursday February
28^th, viewing begins at 6:30pm.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Where: </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Murphy Gallery at
the University YMCA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Bio:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> Salma Arastu
was born in Rajasthan, India and </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">graduated from MS University in Baroda,
India with a Masters degree in Fine Arts. Salma has moved past many adversities
in her life, one being a birth defect where Ms. Arastu was given the
life-defining challenge of a left hand without fingers.  Salma was able to move past this obstacle and
has done almost 40 solo shows, won several awards including East Bay
Community’s fund for artists in 2012, three works in public places and two
books published with her poems and paintings. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">She
has been invited to Germany twice, first on artist residency in 2000 and </span><a name="_GoBack"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">In 2011, <span style="color:#222222">Westphalia
Wilhelm University in Münster, </span>Germany invited to publish her paper </span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">“Art Informed by Spirituality” in the publication on the International
Symposium: ‘God Loves Beauty: Post Modern Views on Religion and Art.’</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><br>
</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Details:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> Salma Arastu’s
‘Garden of Verses’ focuses on spiritual connection and expression of the
Universal. Her art includes Arabic calligraphy that symbolizes love, diversity,
unity and compassion from the Quran to the people of the world. “Garden of
Verses” will be on view throughout the Friday Forum <b>Faith in Action</b> lecture series as well as the <b>Illinois Conference on Interfaith Collaboration.</b>  Learn more about these interfaith
collaborations at </span><a href="http://www.universityymca.org/art/upcoming"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">www.universityymca.org/art/upcoming</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">.  The exhibit will run weekdays from 9am to 9pm
from February 28^th through April 7^th in Murphy Gallery at
the University YMCA.</span></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Background: </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Some
of the most profound insight, critique, and creative thinking around issues
which comprise the mission of the Y happen in and around the arts.  Art @ the Y seeks to engage issues of social
justice, international understanding, environmental activism, faith and
cultural understanding through quality arts programming. </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""></span></b></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Sponsors:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">
Intercultural Friendship Foundation (RSO), the center for South Asian and
Middle Eastern Studies, Diversity and Social Justice Education, World Harvest
International and Gourmet Foods, and the Niagara Foundation.</span></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Attached is the ‘Art @ the Y’ Postcard: ‘Garden of Verses’</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""></span></p>


<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:14.25pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"> </span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:14.25pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Contact:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"> </span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Ann
Rasmus, Program Director</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:15.0pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">[</span></b><a href="tel:217-337-1514" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:windowtext">217-337-1514</span></i></b></a><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></b><a href="mailto:ann@universityymca.org" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:windowtext">ann@universityymca.org</span></i></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">]</span></b></p>


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