Islamabad, October 23,2026: The US Embassy in Islamabad, the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) and the Pakistan-US Alumni Network have launched the first Shahkaar Fankaar Alumni Artist Showcase, providing a platform to highlight the artistic achievements of alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programmes.
The inaugural exhibition opened on October 22 at a new gallery space in the USEFP building in Islamabad. It features a solo exhibition by Lahore-based artist Minaa Haroon, an alumna of a US Department of State cultural preservation exchange programme.
Haroon’s artwork explores inherited jewellery and accessories as carriers of memory, identity and family lineage, drawing inspiration from her mother’s jewellery. The exhibition highlights the role of cultural exchange in fostering artistic expression and strengthening people-to-people ties between Pakistan and the United States.
Asma Rashid-Khan, director of Satrang Gallery and programme adviser for the showcase, and Sarah Rajper, the exhibition’s curator, attended the opening alongside US Department of State representatives, members of Pakistan’s art community, exchange programme alumni and diplomats.
Speaking at the event, Heidi Smith, director of public engagement at the US Embassy in Pakistan, said educational and cultural exchanges had brought Americans and Pakistanis together for decades through learning, innovation and creativity.
She said Haroon’s work demonstrated how an exchange experience could refine an artist’s vision and strengthen ties between the two countries. Referring to the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, Smith said exchange programme alumni were helping shape the next chapter of US-Pakistan relations.
She also presented Haroon with a Certificate of Recognition in acknowledgement of her artistic excellence and achievements as an exchange alumna.
Haroon is a visual artist and assistant director (Fine Arts) at the Lahore Arts Council. In April 2024, she travelled to the United States as a visiting scholar under the US government’s Cultural Preservation Professional Exchange Program.
Haroon said the experience deepened her understanding of cultural inheritance. Visits to museums and galleries exposed her to different approaches to preserving, interpreting and passing on history and traditions, she added.
USEFP Executive Director Dr Peter K. Moran also marked the gallery’s opening in a written statement, highlighting the transformative potential of cultural and educational exchanges. He said art offered a particularly effective way to explore the exchange of ideas, perspectives and creative expression.
The opening ceremony also featured a three-dimensional projection of Haroon’s artwork on the exterior wall of the USEFP building. The projection was created by Islamabad-based Hoola Digital Pvt Ltd, which also produced projections at the Pakistan Monument and Lahore Fort to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence on July 4, 2026.
The exhibition will remain open to the public until November 20 at the USEFP building in Islamabad. Viewing hours are 10:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
Three additional alumni artists are scheduled to present their work in solo exhibitions at the USEFP gallery in 2027.
Since its establishment in 1950, USEFP has facilitated educational and research exchanges involving thousands of Pakistanis and Americans, contributing to academic collaboration, cultural understanding and lasting connections between the two countries.
