Renowned Latvian Artist Raitis Junkers To Be Featured At Carmel International Arts Festival

The Carmel International Arts Festival (CIAF) returns September 27–28, bringing together more than 100 professional artists from across the U.S. and abroad. This year, Carmel highlights its Sister City partnerships, with International Artists including acclaimed Latvian painter Raitis Junkers, who will present works inspired by both his home city of Jelgava and Carmel itself.

Junkers is celebrated for his contemporary approach to visual art, exploring themes of identity, culture, and the human experience through painting, sculpture, and installation. His pieces have been exhibited throughout Europe and draw on both traditional and modern artistic movements. For CIAF, Junkers has sent five oil paintings of Jelgava, five of Carmel, along with four pastel paintings and eight graphic works. “Thank you for the great opportunity at the Carmel International Art Festival! I feel very honored,” he said.

Other Sister City artists include Japanese calligrapher Sayuri Kyotani and painter Akiyo Tanaka, with additional cultural exhibits highlighting Carmel’s ties to Kawachinagano (Japan), Jelgava (Latvia), Cortona (Italy), Seiffen (Germany), Rueil-Malmaison (France), and Visakhapatnam (India). The Indiana Turkish Society, the Greek Society, the Indiana Association of Chinese-Americans, and the Ukrainian Society of Indiana will also participate.

Founded in 1997, CIAF has grown into a premier Midwestern arts event featuring 100–140 artists across mediums including painting, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, glass, wood, fiber, and photography. Roughly one-third of the artists are Indiana-based, with many returning annually.

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