Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art Hosts Montana Conversation “Do We Know Our Fellow Americans?” with Ambrin Masood

Dr. Ambrin Masood Photo credit Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) will host Montana Conversation “Do We Know Our Fellow Americans?” with Dr. Ambrin Masood on Friday, November 22nd at 5:30pm at the museum. The presentation is free and open to the public. Funding for the Montana Conversations program is provided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Montana’s Cultural Trust, and private donations. We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund. Travel abroad and you might wonder, “Why is the whole world interested in America?” But ask a foreigner and they’d say, “Why isn’t America interested in the rest of the world?” When they hear that Dr. Masood is from Pakistan, strangers often offer sympathy or ask whether she lived close to Syria. Pakistan, even after more than six decades of its existence, remains an enigma to the world. Dr. Masood teaches her audience about the real Pakistan she knows: Pakistani cricket, the spicy food, the resilience of people, the sheer beauty of the country, and the warm and fabulous hospitality of Pakistanis. The United States is becoming increasingly diverse. By learning about various ethnic identities we can change negative ethnic group stereotypes, reduce intolerance, and enhance cooperation for the common good. Dr. Ambrin Masood is an Assistant Professor for the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Services at Montana State University Billings with a License in Mental Health Counseling. Dr. Masood earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from a CACREP accredited Counselor Education Program from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. She also earned an MS in Experimental Psychology for the University of South Alabama, in Mobile, Alabama. She has worked with mentally and physically disabled youth and adults for three years as their Behavior Counselor and Program Director, where she developed, implemented and supervised their behavior management plans (1998 – 2002). During this time, she also worked with children on autism spectrum, counseling their parents and consulting with their teachers. In Islamabad, Pakistan (1991 – 1995) she worked as a Crisis Counselor for Rape and Domestic Violence Victims, BEDARI a Non-profit-organization, Assistant Speech Therapist and Counselor for children with special needs and as a Counselor in the Oncology and pediatric wards for the terminal patients. For more information, please contact Nicole Maria Evans, Interim Executive Director/Curator of Exhibitions & Collections at Nicole@the-square.org or call 406-727-8255. Living the Dream Lecture Series The Square presents a series of guest lectures and programs, organized by Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, that correspond to the national ethos of "The American Dream". The discussions offer varied and expanded insights or critiques that relate in some way to what it means to be American/Montanan and experience that dream today. This series is presented in context with the exhibition Willem Volkersz: The View from Here. Living the Dream programs are meant to add deeper insight into Willem Volkersz’s art and storytelling, asking you to consider the following: What is the American Dream? Who Gets to Live it? What does it look like? How does it feel? Ambrin Masood, PhD: “Do We Know Our Fellow Americans?” (Sponsored by Humanities Montana, Montana Conversations Program): Friday, November 22nd, 5:30pm Chris La Tray - Montana’s Poet Laureate: Metis Storyteller (Sponsored by Humanities Montana, Montana Conversations Program): Thursday, January 9th, 5:30pm Bridget Kevane, PhD: “Latino History in Montana” (Sponsored by Humanities Montana, Montana Conversations Program): Thursday, January 23rd, 5:30pm Additional program dates & potential film screenings will be announced soon. About Willem Volkersz: The View from Here, A 25-Year Retrospective: Montana-based artist Willem Volkersz (b. 1939) is a significant contemporary artist known for his neon and paint-by-number-style installations. He was a pioneer in the use of neon in art and developed early and sustaining loves for photography, travel, American roadside culture, Americana, and Folk and Visionary Art. Volkersz came to the United States from Holland in 1953, after the devastation of World War II, and brought with him a rich history that is reflected in his works of art. Volkersz has often said that he has an immigrant’s fascination with America, and as a teenager, he began hitchhiking and driving throughout the American West, camera in hand. He has lived in Montana since 1986, and his first museum exhibition in Montana took place here at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in 1988. The artworks he produced over the past 25 years draw upon the artist’s eight decades of life experience. They touch upon his early life in Holland under Nazi occupation, his immigration to America, and his current life in the Western United States. The artworks also suggest the ways these personal experiences and passions connect to wider social issues of enduring relevance for everyone. This exhibition is organized by the Missoula Art Museum (MAM). This exhibition travels throughout the Northwest through 2024 to the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, SD; Boise Art Museum, ID; Missoula Art Museum, MT; Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University in Salem, OR; the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, MT; and Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls, MT. About Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) is north-central Montana’s only contemporary art museum. Founded in 1977 and located in Great Falls, Montana, the museum resides in and stewards the original 1896 building of the historic Central High School. The Square is known for exhibitions that feature intriguing outsider and contemporary living artists in conjunction with exciting exhibition programs and studio art classes to the community. General Information Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is located at 1400 1st Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana. Admission is FREE to the public, donations are greatly appreciated. Visitor hours: Tuesday 10am to 9pm, Wednesday through Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday from 10pm to 3pm, Sunday and Monday closed. Closed on select holidays. Visit www.the-square.org or call 406.727.8255 for further information.