The Kennan Institute and the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States and Canada invite you to an evening celebrating Kyrgyz art, both contemporary and traditional. The event will begin with a reception featuring a display of artworks at the Wilson Center. The exhibit, titled “Rooted in Felt” has been organized by the organization Voices, a DC nonprofit, and includes felted rugs, wall panels, fashion design, and other objects created by artisans from Kyrgyzstan and this Central Asian republic’s neighbors such as Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Russia.

Following the reception, guests will be treated to a performance by Kyrgyzstan’s leading jazz ensemble “Salt Peanuts.” The band synthesizes folklore with jazz, reflecting the Kyrgyz people’s traditional nomadic lifestyle and love of freedom. The performance this year is a celebration of the Kyrgyz Republic’s 26th anniversary of independence and will include new musical compositions with elements of Kyrgyz and American music.

4:30 PM Exhibition and Reception

5:30 PM Musical Performance