The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Lalithakala Akademi should raise funds: artist

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 27, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Lalithakala Akademi should raise funds: artist

Staff Reporter

State awards for artists, art students presented

KOCHI: R.B. Bhaskaran, senior artist and Chairman of Kendra Lalithakala Akademi, New Delhi, said here on Tuesday that akademis in art should find the means to support themselves economically as the Government could not be expected to provide them financial backing always.

He was delivering the inaugural address at a function to distribute the 34th State awards given by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.

Mr. Bhaskaran said institutions such as the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi could easily raise funds by holding regular exhibitions and auctions of works of art outside the State.

The national-level akademi was ready to offer technical assistance for setting up a ceramic studio in Kerala, if the State Government provided land.

Plea for regional centre

Referring to the long-pending demand of the State akademi for setting up a regional centre of the national-level institution in Kerala, Mr. Bhaskaran said that it could be considered only if the State Government was willing to hand over land.

Kochi would be the most suitable place in the State for locating the centre in case the project was sanctioned.

However, he said the regional centre in Chennai was supposed to cater to the needs of artists in the southern zone, including Kerala.

The Malayalam writer C. Radhakrishnan, who delivered the keynote address, said society had a responsibility towards creativity.

Only when society rose to give responsible support to creativity could the former be expected to progress, he added.

State akademi Chairman Yesudasan presided over the function. Secretary R. Gopalakrishnan, vice-chairman Suresh Koothuparambu and the executive committee member Cyril P. Jacob spoke.

Award winners

Shijo Jacob, Baby Gopal, Rajan Ariyallur, Basanth Peringode, Krishnakumar Muppathadam, Sujith K.S., Sujith K.N., Guruprasad, Suresh K. Nair and Mikku Kurian Cherian were given the awards, each comprising a certificate and cash prize of Rs. 15,000.

The Honourable Mention awards, each including a certificate and cash prize of Rs. 5,000, were given to K.N. Hariharan, Satheesh Paul, Manoj V., Sathyapal and Zacharia Ponkunnam. The Special Mention awards for art students, including a cash prize of Rs. 3,000 each, were given to Sandeep S., Satheesh K.K., Anoop K.G., Vipin N.C. and M. Dinakaran.

The Vellaykal Sankara Menon Endowment Gold Medal was given to K.A. Anoop, Vijaya Raghavan Endowment Gold Medal to Bobby Augustine and the Award for the Best Book on Art and Artists to D. Vijaya Mohan.

Mr. Bhaskaran also inaugurated the annual State-level exhibition of art at the Durbar Hall Art Centre.

The show will continue till August 7.

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