Colours of creativity will make a splash yet again in the city on January 27, as artists from across the country will descend on Kumarakrupa Road for the 10th annual Chitra Santhe, the street side art exhibition organised by the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP).
The Chitra Santhe will feature works of more than 400 artists and some 1,200 stalls, turning the footpaths between Windsor Manor Circle and Shivananda Circle into a vibrant, informal art market from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. An open gallery, the exhibition facilitates direct sales of art without any middleman between the customer and the seller.
“Through the santhe, we hope to bring artists from all walks of life under one roof and give them an opportunity to interact with people from their field,” CKP administrator G.S. Narayan Swami told the media here Tuesday.
While 60 per cent of the participating artists are from Karnataka itself, more than 250 stalls are expected to be of students from colleges across the country. “Artists who sell their paintings here are those who make a living out of them. Hence, we give them an opportunity to meet professionals from galleries and make better contacts in the field,” said R.H. Kulkarni, head of the Arts History Department and core committee member for the exhibition. “It is a home festival for the college and student volunteers, who begin preparatory work more than two months in advance.”
Prior scrutiny
Explaining the screening process of the applicants, Mr. Kulkarni said: “As we have been critical of the quality of paintings at the santhe in the past, we undertook extensive scrutiny of works of nearly 2,000 applicants. The selection panel consists of CKP teachers.”
During the santhe, 10 practising art teachers from institutions across Karnataka will be presented with lifetime achievement award for their contribution to art. Art critics A.L. Narasimhan and K.V. Subramaniam will also be awarded for their contribution.
Three-day show
A three-day exhibition of works, from January 26, by practising art teachers will be a special feature this year and it will be held at the main galleries as a tribute to CKP founder secretary M.S. Nanjunda Rao.
Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar will inaugurate the event while Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok and the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna are among those expected to attend the annual santhe.
