Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a grant of ₹50 lakh to the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat (KCP) on Sunday after inaugurating the 21st edition of the Chitra Santhe, organised by the parishat. He said that the government was committed to the development of art.
Further, the CM said that in order to establish museums and art galleries in all districts of Karnataka, especially North Karnataka, the State government will provide all the necessary assistance.
“Around 3 to 4 lakh people participate in this programme every year. It is a matter of pride that 1,600 artists from 22 States also take part,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
He also lauded the KCP for dedicating the Chitra Santhe to Space scientists this year.
Footfall over 4 lakh
The art fair, which was not limited to just the Kumara Krupa Road this time, attracted over 4 lakh people, the organisers said.
“The footfall was above 4 lakh with an hour to spare for the closing. It was also reported that the business was approximately around ₹4 crore to ₹5 crore this year,“ said B.L. Shankar, president, KCP.
The extension of the venue to Seva Dal grounds and to the service road below the Shivananda Circle flyover helped in the distribution of crowd, said Appajaiah K.S., general secretary at KCP.
“Instead of everyone gathering on the same road and resulting in a dense atmosphere, the crowd was evenly spread this time,” he said.
1,500 artists showcase their work
Around 1,500 artists, including around 250 specially-abled and senior artists, displayed their artwork at the santhe this year.
“We did not reject any applications from specially-abled and senior artists for the festival. This time we were also very stringent in scrutinising the acts. All the registrations and transactions were paperless too,” said Gomathi Gowda, Principal of the College of Fine Arts at KCP.
