Decorating modes of transport—from camel saddles to river boats—is a tradition that in Pakistan dates back centuries.  And modern trucks are no exception! This class explores the crazy, whimsical, beautiful phenomenon of Pakistan truck art—known in Urdu as Phool Patti and dubbed “jingle trucks” by foreign soldiers once serving in the region.

Amazingly and improbably, jingle trucks have become a special, even unique, teaching-and-learning tool in the United States. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kate Warren, an arts activist, has partnered with Sadaf Khan, a Pakistan-born art teacher, to bring jingle trucks to the school curriculum. Via jingle trucks, students from all over Chattanooga learn of the artistry, to be sure, but also of the history and culture of South Asia.

See http://www.Art120.org and https://www.aramcoworld.com/Articles/November-2021/Pakistani-Art-Trucks-on-a-Bridge-of-Culture.

Moderator of event:  Aaron Casey, MPA from the University of Texas at Austin.  He has explored the history, culture, and art of a variety of peoples & places worldwide.  He has lived in France, Zimbabwe, and the United Kingdom, and has deep experience as well in Ghana, Brazil, and South Africa.  In recent years he has collaborated with indigenous communities globally, including here in the USA with Washington state’s Suquamish tribe.  He is the co-owner of Alterra Global Education Initiatives.