Meena Chopra:
(Author, Artist, Artist Educator, Community Work in Arts, Art Curator Advertising, Media, Broadcasting)
Art: Meena Chopra is an internationally known award winning visual artist & poet with an unbridled passion for space, colours, forms and words..
Born and brought up in Nainital, a Himalayan hill resort of Northen India, now lives in Mississauga, Canada. Meena graduated from Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, India. Later qualified as a designer in 1977 from Delhi India and as an Artist Educator from RCM Ontario in 2009. After having a career as a designer for seven years with couple of leading garment firms of New Delhi India, she later switched to fine arts, simultaneously persuing her career in marketing and advertising as an entrepreneur. Primarily a self taught artist, she informally got trained and mentored under master artists at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, where she took visual art and sculpture classes. She has been professionally practicing arts since 1985 till date and writing poetry from 1992.
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She has held several art exhibitions in India, Canada, England, USA and many countries and has over 70 group and solo art exhibitions to her credit. Some of these include premier art galleries of India and Canada like Jehangir Art Gallery Bombay, Shridharani Gallery New Delhi, Triveni Gallery New Delhi, Nehru Centre London England, Art Junction New Delhi, India Habitat Centre, Jain Marunouchi Art Gallery USA and New Delhi, Gallery Aurobindo New Delhi, Design Exchange Toronto, Streetsville Gallery, Mississauga, Heritage Mississauga, Central Library Mississauga. Living Arts Centre.etc. Many group art shows have also been curated and designed by her. In 2014 she was invited by ‘Mississauga Arts Council’ to put up a solo art exhibition “Culture Days Doors Open celebrations at Sampradaya Art Creations.
Her art and poetry has been extensively critiqued and reviewed by some of the well-known art critics/journalist writers of India, Canada and USA.
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Her paintings are with many Corporations, Government Bodies, Embassies, Hotels and Private Collections in India, Canada, Australia, England, Switzerland, and Dubai, Kuwait.
Author/Poetry: She writes both in English and her native language Hindi and has authored two poetry books. She co-edited a Hindi and Urdu e-poetry collection RANG AUR NOOR (Colour and Radiance) in 2014 of the poets residing in Canada . This e-collection of Hindi and Urdu poetic talent of Canada was launched with the help of Mississauga Library Systems. Link: http://issuu.com/starbuzzcanada/docs/rang_aur_noor11_july_24_300_1_
Her poems and articles have been published in many national and international journals. Regularly participating in poetry reading and discussion sessions. She has taken many volunteer arts engagement and art advocacy initiatives in the community. Meena is passionately involved in community arts with a motto of "bringing the diverse communities & cultures together onto a common platform through arts". She has been on the volunteer board of many arts and community organizations and has chaired many art and cultural events. Represented Canada and also India in many art and literary international conferences.
She has also conducted art workshops for Peel Board Schools, Mississauga library, art galleries and for some not for profit organizations. She specializes in MANDALA art workshops involving seniors, adults and children as meditative and therapeutic practices
She has also been holding special art classes for special needs kids. She has been the director/owner of LEARNA HEARTLAND EDUCATION CENTRE in Mississauga since 2006 to 2012 .These days she is engaged with teaching art to special need adults at Pixie Blue Studio at Port Credit, Mississauga
Along with her artistic career she has been an enthusiastic Advertising, Marketing & Media professional with an intensive brand building experience of over 20 years. Launched and started Bhumeeka Advertising (New Delhi, India) in 1985 and ran it till 2004 while migrating to Canada. As an advertising and marketing professional she hasworked with diverse ethnicities, multicultural markets & communities.
She has also been a producer and a host of a musical radio program “Radio Shehnai” at 1320 AM in Canada (2012 to 2013). Has been a publisher of ethnic entertainment newspaper called “StarBuzz” since 2007 . These days she is involved in making of a TV program called EK NAZAR (A Glimpse). This program’s aim is it to bring out and discuss the ‘elemental poetic quality’ of popular Hindi film songs so that they can be the subject of serious study.
BLOGGING ACTIVITIES:
Hindi blog: http://prajwalitkaun.blogspot.ca
English Blog: http://ignitedlines.blogspot.ca
General Blog: http://meenasartworld.blogspot.ca
Forth coming projects: She would be coming soon coming up with the Hindi version of “SHE! The Restless Streak” Her latest solo exhibition was held at “Heritage Mississauga” in 2017 called EYES OF TIME. She will soon be coming up with a coffee table edition of poems and paintings on the same topic.
Honours and Accolades :
· Meena has been recipient of first prize by ‘Visual Arts Mississauga’ celebrating 150 years of Canada in 2017.
· She was recently been awarded with prestigious “Mahadevi Varma International honour” for her contribution to literature and art as a litterateur and artist of Indian origin residing outside India during the “International Hindi Conference” held in April 2018 in Brampton, where 29 Hindi language litterateurs participated from 7 different countries other than Canada, which includes, India, America, England, Mauritius, Fiji and some other countries. The award was given by the organization “Global Hindi Journalistic and Literary Association”, who were the Indian partners in the conference and represented India during the event. Conference was organized by “Viswa Hindi Sansthan”(Global Hindi Organization), a Canadian organization. (April 2018)
· She received Honourable Mention at Poetry Writing Contest 2003 held by the Mississauga Library System, Canada.
· She was nominated for “MARTY'S Awards” for literature in Mississauga 2010.
· “Build India Award” by Bharat Nirman, India for artistic achievements outside India in 2015.
· Awarded for ‘Artistic and Literary’ works by ICACI (Indo Canadian Arts and Culture Initiative of Canada) on their 4th Annual Celebrating Womanhood Gala 2016.
· She was awarded as Face of India in Canada by Colours of India, Canada for her artistic contributions while bringing the communities together 2014.
· She has been honoured for ‘Outstanding Service and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusiveness’ from Peel Community Connections, Canadian recognition of her contribution to the 'Unity in Diversity' in 2006.
· Meena Chopra has been acknowledged and recognized for her work in the “community development” through her art, poetry and community work by Hon`ble Jason Kenney, the then Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism in 2010.
· She was also recognized by Member of Parliament Mr Navdeep Bains, MP, as a “powerful bridge builder in 2010"
· She has also been recognized as “woman hero” by World Women Global Council for her contribution in the community 2013. 
· She has been nominated for “THE CREDITS” by Heritage Mississauga for community work 2014
Website: www.meenachopra-artist.com