What makes Chitra Santhe ever so popular is its affordability. This year, saw 1,400 artists from 16 States with nearly 80,000 paintings displayed at Kumara Krupa Road and Chitrakala Parishath (CKP), while extensions were at Crescent Road and Gandhi Bhavan Road. “Nearly 525 artists are taking part from Karnataka. Only Bengaluru comes up with a mega art sale which is accessible to all,” said Union Minister Sadananda Gowda after releasing a special catalogue of the 100 artists of the Invited Artists Exhibition at the Chitrakala Parishath gallery.
“CKP promotes art without taking any commission from artists during the Santhe. The State government has sanctioned 1.5 crore for the event,” said B.L. Shankar, president-elect, CKP. “Last year we saw a nearly Rs. 3 crore sale, this year we expect sales to come down by nearly 20 per cent due to cash liquidity issues, although SBM and Canara Bank have their ATM and swipe card machines installed,” he added.
Even as Chitra Santhe is an art jamboree, its inclusivity is the highlight as participants are a mix of national awardees, amateurs, professionals and caricature artists who draw nearly three-lakh footfalls in a day. - Mumbai-based Painter and sculptor, Sudarshan Shetty, Chief Guest, Chitra Santhe
