Art camp at Pondicherry

THE ROTARY Club of Pondicherry Midtown found a novel way for raising funds for its project activities and that was through conducting a week-long programme of art activities titled `Art Beat 2001' in association with Artworld, Chennai, and Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Pondicherry, from Aug. 4 - 11. There was something for everyone from toddlers to seniors. The Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, Dr. Rajani Rai, who inaugurated the event lent her active support till the end, being present at the rally on the final day too. The Chief Minister participated in the valedictory function.

Several schools participated in the art competition for children (6-18) divided into four groups. There was also a week-long art workshop for children upto 15 years conducted by artist Asma Menon (Chennai), in which over 30 boys and girls took part. They were taught to handle different mediums and their works were exhibited at the valedictory function.The workshop for adults conducted by Dr. Razia Tony (Chennai) helped them get an overview of the evolution of art and also to some extent understand and appreciate contemporary art.

They were also taught to paint in different mediums and techniques. The highlight of the week-long programme was the art rally on the final day with around 500 girl students from several local schools participating.

A massive piece of cloth on which over 400 girls had painted during the week with the help of teachers was carried by them in a rally.

An important segment was the art camp held at the Town Hall, Mary Hall on the Strand, in which 20 artists from different parts of the country, participated. While some of the participants such as Nagdev, Dandekar, Muralidharan, K.S. Rao, Achuthan Kudallur, Tapan Mitra, Bijon Choudhury and Babu Xavier painted their favourite figurative or abstract themes in their own individual techniques, others painted their impressions of Pondicherry on canvas, in their own manner of abstract, figurative or realistic interpretation.

Though the sea, sands and coconut groves were major themes, French architecture and culture, the Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, Mary Hall, Meditation, Pondy Town, the East Coast Road, etc., all found expression in the creations of the artists who included Prakash Karmakar, Ramlal and Sohini Dhar, Munindra Rajbongshi, Anjani Reddy, Shekar Roy and Parag Adhikari.

LAKSHMI VENKATRAMAN

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