Nadia Cavner is a retired financial consultant who now devotes substantial time to philanthropic causes. Having spent her childhood in the Assyrian region of Iraq, the Assyrian refugee crisis is a cause she holds close to her heart. For years, Nadia Cavner has been heavily involved in a number of Assyrian causes and, most recently, has lent her support to the newly founded Assyrian Arts Institute.
In 2016, director Nora Lacey established the Assyrian Arts Institute to promote Assyrian artists through mentorship, grants, and the presentation of Assyrian art in both physical and virtual exhibits. An Assyrian native of Iran who emigrated to the United States as a teenager, Lacey intended the Institute to help similarly-situated Assyrian refugees thrive in the community after fleeing from their homeland.
On April 1, 2016, the Assyrian Art Institute donated a public monument to Lincoln Park in the city of Los Altos, California. The monument is an eight-foot sculpture by Assyrian-American artist Fred Parhad that says “Shlama” in calligraphy. Shlama, a common greeting among Assyrians, means “peace” in Aramaic, and the sculpture will serve as a symbol for the thousands of Assyrians who migrated to the Bay Area and help preserve the Assyrian heritage.
In 2016, director Nora Lacey established the Assyrian Arts Institute to promote Assyrian artists through mentorship, grants, and the presentation of Assyrian art in both physical and virtual exhibits. An Assyrian native of Iran who emigrated to the United States as a teenager, Lacey intended the Institute to help similarly-situated Assyrian refugees thrive in the community after fleeing from their homeland.
On April 1, 2016, the Assyrian Art Institute donated a public monument to Lincoln Park in the city of Los Altos, California. The monument is an eight-foot sculpture by Assyrian-American artist Fred Parhad that says “Shlama” in calligraphy. Shlama, a common greeting among Assyrians, means “peace” in Aramaic, and the sculpture will serve as a symbol for the thousands of Assyrians who migrated to the Bay Area and help preserve the Assyrian heritage.
