A Duet of Art and Music
Cultural Night at CCF West educates and entertains the community
By Kamal Yaldo
The Chaldean Community Foundation hosted a cultural evening at its West Bloomfield location on Thursday, December 11, titled “Art and Music.” Father Patrick Setto and visual artist Reni Stephan were the guests of honor.
The event drew a large crowd of community members who enjoyed an evening celebrating art, music, culture and history.
The 120 attendees first gathered in the foundation’s front lobby. Later, Farah Shammami, the Foundation’s programs coordinator, and Sheren Deza led guided tours of the facility, highlighting the paintings, drawings, and various sections of the new building.
CCF West houses a reception area, sports arena, theater, learning lab classrooms, a martyr’s wall, Chaldean timeline, demonstration kitchen, Chaldean Cultural Museum, Mar Ibrahim Library, business incubator, radio and television studios, and more. Many areas bear the names of Chaldean families who contributed generously to the center, prominently displayed on donor walls and building facades.
Following the tour, Shammami welcomed attendees and thanked them for participating. Mary Romaya, executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, provided an overview of the museum’s relocation from Shenandoah CC to the new CCF West building. The expanded museum, three times its previous size and including a new exhibit on genocide, is scheduled to open in 2026.
The first guest speaker, Father Patrick Setto, born in California in 1990 to Iraqi parents, spoke on the importance of art in the development of peoples, nations, and civilizations. He said all forms of civilization today—architecture, sculpture, painting—are manifestations of art.
Father Setto spoke about his personal experience with art, recounting a chance encounter with artist Reni Stephan during a visit to a convent in Detroit. He was struck by a painting on display and, upon asking about the artist, learned it was Stephan. This meeting marked the beginning of a friendship that deepened Father Setto’s connection to art, provided him the opportunity to develop his own painting skills, and ultimately led to the creation of numerous artworks—two of which were displayed at the event.
The next speaker was the artist Reni Stephan, born in Baghdad in 1981, who took the audience on a personal journey. It began with his family members, who were all involved in music, both playing and performing.
He then spoke about his birth in Iraq, his family’s escape and his father’s efforts to avoid being drafted into the war again (Reni was 8 years old at the time), and the painful experiences they endured before arriving in the United States as refugees.
Regarding his passion for painting, Reni said: “My interest in art began later in life, and I was primarily inspired by my exposure to the sculptures and paintings that were abundant in the civilization of Mesopotamia.
“I began my university studies in 2005, which included research, study, learning about international artists, and was able to forge my own distinctive artistic identity by blending modern art schools, applying them to the historical and cultural heritage of the Mesopotamian civilization,” explained Reni. “One example of this is the numerous paintings that adorn the walls of both Chaldean Community Foundation buildings, community organizations, churches, homes, offices of community members, libraries, and other places.”
The initial spark for Reni’s artistic journey came when, in 1990, he participated in a competition while in his first year of middle school for a poster titled, “Say No to Drugs.” Entering despite his hesitation and fear of losing, he was surprised to win first place in his class and first place in his school, and the poster was displayed in the school for a month!
Reni emphasizes the importance of the community supporting art, artists, and all artists with talent. He asserts that nations that do not respect and encourage art will not be remembered by history, while nations that appreciate the arts will always be present. The best example of this is what our ancestors, the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians, left behind for us to treasure and wonder.
The evening concluded on a celebratory note, leaving attendees inspired by the intersection of art, music, and Chaldean culture. Through the stories of Father Setto and Reni Stephan, guests experienced how personal journeys, creativity, and heritage can come together to strengthen community bonds. The event reaffirmed the Chaldean Community Foundation West’s role as a vibrant hub for cultural enrichment, education, and the preservation of Chaldean history and artistry.