Kerala   

Kerala Lalithakala Akademi takes over Kottakunnu art gallery

This is the seventh art gallery under the Lalithakala Akademi.

BETTER TIMES AHEAD: Varnam Art Gallery, Malappuram.

Monday was a day of celebration for the artists of Malappuram. Varnam Art Gallery, the lone art gallery in Malappuram, was formally taken over by Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. And now, the artists and art lovers of Malappuram can expect a better fare without worrying about finances.

Ever since the gallery came into being about nine months ago, there were concerns about raising funds to maintain it. The Akademi will now take care of the gallery and ensure its growth in a manner that befits the cultural and artistic tradition of Malappuram. That assurance from the Akademi is what makes the gallery's caretaker K.V. Dayanandan beam.

With the takeover, the name Varnam will go. The Akademi will decide whether to give a new name to it or not.

This will be the seventh art gallery under Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. The others are Durbar Hall Art Centre, Kochi; Vylopilly Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram; Art Gallery, Kozhikode; Art Gallery, Kottayam; Art Gallery, Kanhangad; and Chitrasala Art Gallery, Thrissur.

R. Gopalakrishnan, secretary of the Akademi, took over possession of the gallery from District Collector M. Sivasankar at a function held at Kottakunnu on Monday.

The gallery had enjoyed a unique position: this was the only gallery in the State owned by a district administration. ALthough there will be no change in that position, the functioning of the gallery will depend on the response from the Akademi.

The takeover will benefit the gallery in several ways. There will be no entry fee to the gallery. So far, visitors had to pay Rs.5, and students Rs.2.

The gallery will now get a lot of contemporary paintings, providing the art lovers an opportunity to enjoy a cross-section of painters, said Mr. Dayanandan.

The takeover will also facilitate organising of seminars, workshops and classes on various aspects of art and sculpture, he said.

The gallery has currently nine sculptures and 103 paintings, including a few rare collections of famous artists such as K.C.S. Panikkar, A.C.K. Raja and T.K. Padmini.

The gallery has been handed over to the Akademi on condition of maintaining all these paintings and sculptures there. A committee has come into being to ensure that the gallery is run by the Akademi satisfactorily.

If the committee finds it unsatisfactory, then it can take back the gallery from the Akademi.

The gallery has already earned a good reputation in the world of art and literature. Artist M.V. Devan described it as an asset to Malappuram.

Novelist P. Valsala on Monday said that the gallery had become the pride of Malappuram.

Abdul Latheef Naha

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ban on camel slaughter: court refuses to interfere
Kerala Lalithakala Akademi takes over Kottakunnu art gallery
Next issue
Today at Sabarimala
Warm welcome to the comrade
A relic destroyed
Worthy of emulation
Briefly

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu