Program Guide

2013
May 

  • May 28“Fiesta Asia Film Fest,” 6:30-8:30PM at the Westend Cinema in Washington, D.C. The Foundation will screen Azerbaijani film maker Shamil Najafzade’s critically acclaimed film The Fortress and lead a Q&A following the film. The Fiesta Asia Film Fest is part of a month long celebration of Asian culture in America.
  • May 18“Fiesta Asia Street Fair,” 10AM-7 PM on Pennsylvania Ave, between 3rd and 6th. Now in its eighth year, the Fiesta Asia Street Fair attracts over 20,000 attendees. At the Fair, the Karabakh Foundation Dancers will perform  the traditional Azerbaijani folk dance called naz eleme and Foundation staff will present a display of Azerbaijani culture, featuring handicrafts from the region and interactive children’s activities.
  • May 13“Spotlight Diplomacy: We All Shine,” Organizations and individuals concerned with how diaspora communities, their host countries, and their countries of origin interact and pursue mutual interests come together in a session on “spotlight diplomacy” led by the Karabakh Foundation at Foundation headquarters. Featuring an outline of philosophy and lessons learned during the Foundation’s first three years, “Spotlight Diplomacy: We All Shine” touts the merits of creating a single stage with high quality cultural performances by multiple affiliated cultural groups. The session also elucidates the role of today’s cultural foundation.

March

  • March 8The Foundation presents an interactive Azerbaijani textile display at the Longfellow Middle School Heritage Party. Karabakh Foundation Dancers inspire middle schoolers with their fancy footwork and obvious love for their culture. The Foundation also polls attendees about the effectiveness of the Foundation’s Azerbaijani Artifacts online exhibition during its prototyping phase.

February

  • February 22—Showing that it is never too soon to engage people in cultural diplomacy, the Karabakh Foundation introduces a variety of craft activities during an International Night at Hayock Elementary School, also engaging children and parents in age-appropriate cultural explanations and in cross-cultural discussions of traditions.
  • February 4—”Azerbaijani Tea,” 6:30-8:00PM at the Karabakh Foundation Offices. Join the Karabakh Foundation Young Professionals for an evening of networking and Azerbaijani tea. Find out how you can get involved in Karabakh Foundation activities.

January

  • January 11—Executive Diana Altman addresses the Berlin-based Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in the USA “Options on the Table: Soft Power, Intercultural Dialogue & the Future of US Foreign Policy.” Conference in Washington, D.C., includes participation by major policy makers, academics, diplomats, and others.

2012
December 

  • December 3—”Nizami Ganjavi: Legacy of a 12th-Century Poet from Azerbaijan,” the Karabakh Foundation, the Library of Alexandria, and the Nizami Ganjavi International Center proudly present a world-class exhibition of about 50 original manuscripts and rare miniatures at the beautiful and historic Josephine Butler Parks Center in Washington, D.C.

November 

  • November 7—“Experiencing the Jews of Azerbaijan,” 7:00-8:15PM, led by Executive Director Diana Altman, Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec Street, NW, Washington, D.C., cosponsored by the Jewish Study Center and Adas Israel Congregation. To sign up email info@jewishstudycenter.org or call 202-332-1221.

September

  • September 30—Karabakh Foundation tent at the Tenth Annual Turkish Festival of Washington, D.C., a street festival that shares Turkic heritage on a grand scale in the Nation’s Capital. The Festival begins at 11:00AM on Pennsylvania Avenue between 12th and 14th streets, NW.
  • September 29—The Karabakh Foundation will present an interactive Azerbaijani cultural display at the second annual Global Languages and Cultures Festival: G-Fest. The event showcases ethnic and cultural diversity, celebrates unique ethnic traditions, and encourages cultural exchange. The Festival is from 3:00-6:00PM at the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom at The George Washington University (800 21st str NW Washington, DC 20052).
  • September 27—Azerbaijani Movie Thursday, 6:30-8:30PM, screening of Memory of Taste a documentary by critically acclaimed Azerbaijani film director Shamil Najafzade, Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Memory of Taste is a two part film that explores the agricultural and culinary traditions of different regions of Azerbaijan, focusing first on Shemekha, Azerbaijan and then Lenkoran-Astara. Recipes, cooking demonstrations, and a history of the regions are featured in the documentary.
  • September 20—Azerbaijani Movie Thursday, 6:30-8:30PM, screening of Stepping over the Horizon a documentary by critically acclaimed Azerbaijani film director Shamil Najafzade, Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Stepping Over the Horizon is a documentary based on the writings and recollections of art critic Sara Oğuz Nəzirovanın. The lives and works of five 20th century Azerbaijani artists associated with the Absheron School of Painting are discussed. In their art, all five depicted the world view, aesthetics, and mythology of the people living in the Caucasus.
  • September 13—Azerbaijani Movie Thursday, 7:00-9:00PM, screening of The Fortress a film by critically acclaimed Azerbaijani film director Shamil Najafzade, Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park MD 20912. The Fortress tells the story of a film crew that arrives in a remote border village in the mountains of Azerbaijan to shoot a historical account of war, heroism, and love when a real war erupts. This moving tale of life imitating art was selected to represent Azerbaijan in the Foreign Language Film category at the 81st Academy Awards. The film is in the Azerbaijani language with English subtitles. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Shamil Najafzade.
  • September 8—As part of the National Geographic Society’s 1001 Inventions Family Festival, the Karabakh Foundation Azerbaijani Rug Initiative program will present an informative and interactive Azerbaijani carpet display at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Festival hours are from 10:00AM-4:00PM.
  • September 6—Azerbaijani Movie Thursday, 6:30-8:30PM, screening of The Fortress a film by critically acclaimed Azerbaijani film director Shamil Najafzade, Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The Fortress tells the story of a film crew that arrives in a remote border village in the mountains of Azerbaijan to shoot a historical account of war, heroism, and love when a real war erupts. This moving tale of life imitating art was selected to represent Azerbaijan in the Foreign Language Film category at the 81st Academy Awards. The film is in the Azerbaijani language with English subtitles. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Shamil Najafzade.
  • August 28-September 27—Azerbaijani Artist in Every Sense: Kamil Najafzade (1929-2011) exhibition at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 8th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The exhibition will be open August 28-September 27, 2012, Tuesday-Friday, 12noon-4:00PM. Developed in conjunction with the artist’s family, the exhibition examines the life and paintings of renowned Azerbaijani painter and film production designer Kamil Najafzade. Please rsvp for the opening reception, which will be Wednesday, September 5, athttp://azartistineverysense.eventbrite.com/.

July

  • July 8—Azerbaijani Fun Day: An Intergenerational Experience, 1:00-5:00PM at Leisure World, 3701 Rossmoor Blvd., Silver Spring, Maryland.
  • June 27-July 1; July 4-8—Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., presentations of Azerbaijani culture by the Karabakh Foundation. More to follow.
  • June 28 and July 5—Azerbaijani Thursday Concerts at the Folklife Festival, 6:00-7:30PM, sponsored by the Karabakh Foundation.

June

  • June 4-22—Painting the World Together: Caucasus and U.S. Women Artists, cosponsored by Sonmaz Mashal Cultural Relations Public Union, at Mason Hall Atrium Gallery, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. Watch this space for details.
  • June 22—Karabakh Foundation Young Professionals Rooftop Social (get ready for the Folklife Festival!) BYOB happy hour, 6:00-8:30PM.

May

  • May 26—Eurovision Viewing Party at Levante’s restaurant at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Join the Karabakh Foundation for the Eurovision grand finale. Pomegranate martinis and other Azerbaijani-themed cuisine will be featured. Food and drink specials will be available throughout the party from 3:00PM-7:00PM.
  • May 22-26—The youth-driven Eurovision song contest comes to Baku—stay tuned for how you can participate in the Karabakh Foundation’s party marking this groundbreaking extravaganza.
  • May 16—The Karabakh Foundation in New York City: Mugham virtuoso Imamyar Hasanov in concert, “Acoustic Wednesdays” at Symphony Space’s Thalia theater. World-class musician Imamyar Hasanov will perform and share anecdotes about his native Azerbaijan. Cosponsored with the World Musical Institute.
  • May 10—Azerbaijani Painters: Father and Son Tal’at and Shahin Shikhaliyev at the American Islamic Congress Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Shahin Shikhaliyev and his late father Tal’at Shikhaliyev shared a penchant for color and abstraction and an abiding love for their native country, which is conveyed in their paintings. Celebrate Azerbaijan through the paintings of father and son at the Karabakh Foundation’s first public program in New England.
  • May 6—“Culinary Traditions of Azerbaijan” talk at Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. (CHoW DC) by renowned culinary historian Amy Riolo, author of the Karabakh Foundation’s upcoming cookbook The Cuisine of Karabakh, 2:30-4:30PM at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland. For more information see http://chowdc.org/.
  • May 6—International Children’s Festival, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., 12:00noon-4:00PM; at 2:30PM the Karabakh Foundation Dancers will perform the lezginka and teach basic steps of Azerbaijani folk dancing to children at this annual Meridian International Center event.
  • May 3—Karabakh Foundation screens “The Refugee: The Long Journey of Anar Usubov” at the Fiesta Asia Film Fest May 3 at West End Cinema. Screening starts at 6:45 pm. For more information please go to Fiesta Asia Film Fest.

April

  • April 25—TURKSOY Presents: Symphony of Voices from Turkic Lands: Celebrate Turkic music and culture with a symphony orchestra and choral performance of Ahmed Adnan Saygun’s “Yunus Emre Oratorio.” The New-York based Jonathan Griffith Singers will accompany the Turksoy symphony orchestra, which is composed of musicians from several Turkic nations. More information and tickets at strathmore.org.

March

February

  • February 16, 2012 5:30-7:30 KF Networking Happy Hour Capitol at Capitol City Brewery 1100 New York Avenue, NW Washington (Washington, DC).

January

  • January 30-May 2—Azerbaijani language classes at Karabakh Foundation headquarters in Washington, D.C., presented by the Global Language Network as part of a cooperative initiative with the Karabakh Foundation.
  • January 29— “Presenting the Caspian Dreamers . . . Rapping with Tim McNaught,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620
  • January 22—“True Exchanges: Insights from U.S. Cultural Affairs Officer Christopher Jones,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620
  • January 15—”From Toronto to Azerbaijan’s Coastal Plains: Carolyn Van Oosterom,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620

2011
December

  • December 25—“Azerbaijani Youth: A Dialogue,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620.
  • December 22—“Experiencing Jewish Azerbaijan.” The ancient and modern Jewish communities of Azerbaijan come to life in this celebratory holiday event featuring Azerbaijani music, food, and holiday traditions. In cooperation with the Coming of Age program at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. Leisure World, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  • December 18—“The Azerbaijan Jewish Community,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620
  • December 11—“An American on Mugham: An Interview with Jeffrey Werbock,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620
  • December 4—“Azerbaijani Americans” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620.

November

  • November 27—“Reflections on Musical Icon Uzeyir Hajibeyov with Dr. Aida Huseynova,” Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620.
  • November 20—“Call-in Show with Prof Audrey Altstadt on Azerbaijani Identity” with guest host Kelsey King, Azerbaijani Radio Hour, WUST 1120AM, 12:00noon-1:00PM, also accessible by cell phone at 712-432-6620.