By Manavi Shukla

Last month, it was India’s Independence Day, and Deepti Designs took part in an India Day parade organized by the Consulate General of India in Seattle to celebrate this occasion. Many of our artists and their families walked in the parade and had an amazing time. 

A special thank you goes to Nikita Thakalath for creating the 2D sculptures and to Srujana Babu for choreographing the performance! The 2D sculptures were collaboratively painted by students. The final pieces were more than just sculptures; they were a dynamic representation of our culture.  

We would also like to recognize our project leads, Anvika Bheemarasetty and Aadya Bommineni, for their hard work in making our part in the parade successful. Finally, a big shout-out goes to Varsha, ⁠Ruthvi, Meg Isohata, ⁠Sri Hansika Senthil, Mahathi, Shreya Mundra, Sivatmika, and ⁠Mahima. These students’ beautiful paintings were enlarged for Deepti Designs' performance.

 It was a great event, and we are grateful to everyone who joined and supported us. If you were not able to make it, here are some pictures from the parade!

By: Anvika Bheemarasetty

On September 13th, four talented artists, Ms. Deepti Agrawal, a professional Madhubani artist; Ms. Ruchika Sarogi, a culinary artist; Ms. Roopini Venkatasubramanian, an expert in miniature painting, ceramics, and stained glass; and Mr. Charan Sachar, who transforms the textures of knitting, weaving, and embroidery into clay, came together to create a vibrant community event: The Art Courtyard.

Hosted at the Bothell Library and sponsored by the City of Bothell, the event was a tremendous success, drawing a steady stream of enthusiastic visitors throughout the day. Attendees enjoyed a wide variety of engaging activities, including cupcake decorating, plaster mold carving, clay creations, and the collaborative painting of a Madhubani-style community mural. For younger guests, there were plenty of fun-filled attractions as well, such as a treasure hunt, a lemonade stand, and chalk drawing areas and a hand painted Madhubani playhouse called Kuteer!

The mural—soon to be a temporary installation at the Bothell Library—is nearing completion. It features iconic imagery such as the City of Bothell bridge, Mount Rainier, crows, bears, salmon, deer, and a totem pole, all representing the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible team of volunteers who helped bring this event to life: Ritisha Saraogi , Riyanshi Saraogi, Deepthi Sunder Rajan, Shashi Kiran, Ganesh Raj, Kapil Thakkar, Sobby Thakalath, Nirdesh Mittal, Nikita Thakalath, Divya Chalasani, Amulya Kovalam, Shachi Sinha, Anika Adusmelli, Arianna Sinha, Rasika Ganesh, Mano Chitra, Sri Hansika Senthil, Anugraha Ganesh, Anvika Bheemarasetty, Kavitha Thacker, Pehal Thacker, Oumsri Raghavendran, Sanghamitra Borgohain, Shilpa Sherigar, Charu Kalani, Aashi Sherigar, Dhruvika Gogoi, Vidhya Durai, Adithi Siva, and Krithi Siva.

We are also grateful to our special guests, Deputy Mayor Rami Al-Kabra and Councilwoman Jenne Alderks, for their presence and continued dedication to fostering a more diverse and vibrant Bothell.

Finally, a special thank you to all participants and volunteers for their vision, passion, and hard work in bringing The Art Courtyard to life. Your efforts made this day possible!

By Jahnavi Shukla

The “Tile By Tile” intergenerational workshop, conducted by Jahnavi Shukla and Manavi Shukla at the Norshore Senior Center, had participants (seniors and their grandchildren) work together to draw and paint on circular tiles. 

This month, these circular tiles were put together into a mural. Under the guidance of Ms. Deepti Agarwal and Ms. Nikita Thakalath, Jahnavi and Manavi Shukla spent around fifteen hours designing and painting wooden panels that became the background of the mural, and glued the participants’ tiles onto those panels, creating “The Tree of Shared Skies”.

The result is a diptych (two-part) mural which features senior and youth Madhubani artwork in one piece. It will go on to be auctioned and raise funds for the Northshore Senior Center.

By: Anvika Bheemarasetty

On September 6th, Rama Panchapagesan proudly represented Deepti Designs at the Kenmore Children’s Fair. She showcased her creativity through Madhubani-designed earrings, original Madhubani prints, and hand-crafted perfumes, each inspired by the rich tradition of Madhubani art.

Rama thoroughly enjoyed the experience, connecting with visitors, sharing the stories behind her designs, and managing sales at her booth. Beyond celebrating her artistry, the fair gave her an opportunity to develop valuable business skills—from customer engagement to entrepreneurship—that will support her creative journey ahead.