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Happy days for artists ahead

BHUBANESWAR: In an attempt to expedite its ambitious action plan for promotion of art education in the State, Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi, an autonomous body under the Department of Culture, has decided to document the activities of the Sunday Art Schools operating in Orissa. It has also brought out a directory of the artists in the State.

Akademi secretary Mr.Chandramani Biswal told The Hindu that the State Government accorded recognition to 75 Sunday Art Schools spread over 30 districts, which were affiliated to the Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi.

These art schools, with about a students’ strength of 2,700, are being run by the cultural NGOs, he added.

Government recognition for these schools with a flexible academic system has encouraged enrolment of a large number of students which comprises of college students, housewives, professional and others.

“The Akademi plans to launch graduate and post graduate programmes and other certificate courses through these schools in near future. We have also simplified the rules to encourage opening up of more such art schools in the State,” the secretary said.

“Any registered organisation can get affiliated to the Akademi to run such an art school on payment of Rs.500 as registration fee to the Akademi”, he explained.

Documentation of the activities of these institutions begun as per the initiative of culture secretary Gopinath Mohanty, Mr.Biswal informed.

The Department of Culture provided a portion of the funds required for this project while, the art institutions were requested to deposit Rs.300 each to be listed in the directory, it was learnt.

The initiative would help the Government to frame new policies and programmes for expansion of art education in the State. It would also help aspiring students and artists to have details of information about the art institutions operating here with bachelor and masters programmes and facilities available, said Mr. Biswal. “Any one can avail the programmes and facilities”, he added.

Compilation of the artists’ directory has been a major achievement of the Akademi this year, stated Mr.Biswal. Priced at Rs.150, this newly-published directory contains details of information about 287 artistes of Orissa besides the arts schools present in the State.

It is available to the public at Rs.120 per copy, but artistes whose details are documented in it have to pay a mere Rs.100 to get the book.

It was launched by Chief Minister Mr.Naveen Patnaik during the golden jubilee celebration of the Government College of Art and Crafts, Khallikote and is available for sale at the Akademi in Bhubaneswar.

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