ENGLEWOOD, CO .- The Colorado South Asian Artists Group announces its debut exhibition, Roots & Routes, opening Friday, September 5, 2025, at Englewood CityCenter (901 Englewood Parkway, Unit 108). The exhibition runs through October 5, 2025, with a closing reception and artist talk from 3 - 4.30 PM.

This landmark exhibition features the work of 22 Colorado-based visual artists from the South Asian diaspora, exploring identity, heritage, displacement, memory, and belonging. Through painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, Roots & Routes captures the duality of being deeply grounded in cultural origins while navigating the transformative “routes” of migration and adaptation.

Featured artists include Bala Thiagarajan, Navya Mallepeddi, Hatrita Patel, Rita Bhasin, Raj Manickam, Shohini Ghosh, Sangeeta Reddy, Mitra Verma, Anita Nagpal Schwartz, Maya Jade, Mala Setaram-Wolfe, Jyotsna Raj, Poornima Gopal, Dil, Shanthi Kumar, Meena Desai, Dhruvi Shah, Maha Kamal, Nisha Ghela, Kiran Wasim, Manick Sorcar, and Renluka Maharaj.

“This exhibition is more than just a showcase; it’s a statement about visibility, representation, and the power of community-led narratives,” says artist and C-SAAG founder Bala Thiagarajan. “Too often, our stories are told by outsiders. Roots & Routes is about South Asian artists shaping and sharing our own stories, in our own voices, with the broader Colorado community.”

For artist Anita Nagpal Schwartz, the show reflects a personal journey of connection. “Half of my family has roots in India, and my heart reaches across the miles to faraway relatives. In my studio, I cut, paint, and paste a route from my landlocked home to a faraway place surrounded by water. Color and collage draw India to me in small but meaningful ways, piece by piece, bringing peace.”

Artist Maya Jade shares a perspective on heritage and responsibility: “The roots left by those before us guide our journeys and choices as we move through the contemporary world. We find comfort in our traditions that carry us through hardships. We also feel the weight of honoring the sacrifices of our ancestors by trying to succeed in rooms they’ve never been in.”

The Colorado South Asian Artists Group was founded in 2025 to create a thriving, inclusive, and supportive network for South Asian visual artists in the state. With members connecting from as far as Fort Collins to Castle Pines, and Eagle, its mission is to amplify artists’ voices, foster collaboration, and enhance visibility both within the South Asian diaspora and across the broader Colorado arts landscape. Roots & Routes is co-curated by Bala Thiagarajan and Hadia Shaikh and is presented as part of CitySpark, an initiative to reengage the Englewood community.

Additional programming during the run of the show will include artist talks, workshops, and community events, offering audiences a deeper look into the creative processes and personal histories behind the artwork.