Chitrakala Parishat
Encyclopedia
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, in the state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India. Its main aim is the promotion of art and culture and it is well known for the various art exhibitions that it conducts both at the state and the National levels.
Growth
Svetoslav Roerich
Svetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich Russian painter, son of Nicholas Roerich, studied from a young age under his father's tutelage. He studied architecture in England in 1919 and entered Columbia University's school of architecture in 1920...
donated several of his paintings and those of his father Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich, also known as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh , was a Russian mystic, painter, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler, and public figure. A prolific artist, he created thousands of paintings and about 30 literary works...
to the Parishath. In its initial years it started holding art exhibitions at various places in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and India and also started conferences and workshops related to art and culture. Nanjunda Rao's Chitrakala Vidyalaya was added to the Parishath in the year 1964. In the year 1966, it obtained recognition as an art-centre by the state and national Lalit Kala Akademi
Lalit Kala Akademi
The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India's National Academy of Arts. It was an autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 by Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, both within and outside the country...
(academy of art). One of the pioneering activities undertaken by the Parishath was to conduct a survey of the Karnataka state's art treasures such as the famous Mysore painting
Mysore painting
Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town of Mysore in Karnataka. Painting in Karnataka has a long and illustrious history, tracing it’s origins back to the Ajanta times Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian...
s. This survey was hugely successful in cataloguing the art treasures and this also lead to lot of studies and research on the various arts found. With time, the Parishath added galleries and also a graphic studio making it into a full-fledged art complex. In 1993, an INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) centre at Bangalore was started with the help of the Parishath. In 1995, Mr. Kejriwal donated his family's art collection which were displayed in spacious galleries in the Parishath. In 1998-99 a sculpture gallery was also added to the Parishath complex. An open-air theatre to cater to the needs of the visual and performing artists is also present. In 2003, two more large galleries for international and folk art were also inaugurated. One of the important events organised annually is the Chitra santhe (art bazaar) which is a sale of art objects in which hundreds of artists from all over India participate and sell their art work to the public.
Chitrakala Vidyalaya (College of Fine Arts)
Chitrakala Vidyalaya was started by MS Nanjunda Rao as an art-school in a small room in the locality of MalleswaramMalleswaram
Malleswara or Malleshwaram, located in the north-west of Bangalore, derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleswara temple. Originally a village named Mallapura, Malleswaram was developed as a suburb during the great plague of 1898, which caused many people to move out from the city center...
, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Art enthusiasts would meet here to discuss topics of interest. This school was merged with Chitrakala Parishath in the year 1964 and later upgraded to the College of Fine Arts; affiliated with the Bangalore University
Bangalore University
Bangalore University is a public university located in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India. The university is one of the oldest in India, dating back to 1886...
. Some of the courses taught here are painting, sculpture, applied art, graphic art and art history. The college offers a graduation degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts. While the Karnataka Government initially provided a 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) plot of land near Doddaballapur for this college, a new piece of land was handed over to the institution near Mysore road, which will now house the college. An extension of the college called Chitrakala Institute of Advanced Studies (CIAS) was also started to cater to the advanced studies in art. CIAS offers Master's degree in Fine Arts (MFA).
INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage)
INTACH is a cultural organisation established with the mandate or conservation and restoration of Indian heritage objects like historical buildings, paintings, art work and manuscripts. Some of the objectives of INTACH are:- To sensitize the public about the cultural legacy of India.
- To protect and conserve heritage objects.
- To document and catalogue historical buildings and other cultural objects
- To develop policies and regulations to protect the heritage of the country.
- To provide trainings in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of specific works of art
- To provide emergency response to save heritage objects in times of disaster.
- To encourage partnerships and colloborations with other like-minded agencies and also to generate sponsorships.
The Bangalore centre of INTACH was established in the year 1993. Some of the important projects undertaken by this centre are:
- Restoration of paintings of the Mysore PalaceMysore PalaceThe Palace of Mysore is a palace situated in the city of Mysore in southern India. It is the official residence of the Wodeyars - the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, and also houses two durbar halls ....
. - Restoration of paintings by well known European artists such as Degas and Rousseau
- Pencil sketches of botanical specimens at the Horticultural Library, Bangalore
- Restoration of oil paintings at the Bangalore Town HallBangalore Town HallBangalore Town Hall is a neoclassical municipal building in Bangalore, India. The town hall is named after the philanthropist and former president of Bangalore city municipality, Sir K.P Puttanna Chetty....
- Restoration of portraits at the Vidhana SoudhaVidhana SoudhaThe Vidhana Soudha, located in Bengaluru , is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style sometimes described as Neo-Dravidian, and incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic and Dravidian styles...
, Bangalore
Publications
Another important activity undertaken by the Parishath is to publish books related to art and culture. A book on Mysore paintingMysore painting
Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town of Mysore in Karnataka. Painting in Karnataka has a long and illustrious history, tracing it’s origins back to the Ajanta times Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian...
s and its translated version in the Kannada language is one of the important publications by the Parishath. Some of the other publications brought out by the Parishat are:
- A fully illustrated volume on GaneshaGaneshaGanesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
(in both English and Kannada) - Humanism in Art by Svetoslav RoerichSvetoslav RoerichSvetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich Russian painter, son of Nicholas Roerich, studied from a young age under his father's tutelage. He studied architecture in England in 1919 and entered Columbia University's school of architecture in 1920...
- An illustrated album on Svetoslav RoerichSvetoslav RoerichSvetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich Russian painter, son of Nicholas Roerich, studied from a young age under his father's tutelage. He studied architecture in England in 1919 and entered Columbia University's school of architecture in 1920...
- A catalogue showcasing Movement in Indian Art which was released to commemorate the 50 years of Indian Independence
- A commemorative album to felicitate Mr. Nanjunda Rao
- A volume on Leather Puppetry.