Over 120 artists to showcase 5,000 artworks at Kala Parba in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: As part of the ongoing Karavali Utsava, the district administration, in association with Sharadhi Prathishtana, will organise a three-day Kala Parba, a national-level art, sculpture and cultural fair, at Kadri Park in Mangaluru from January 9.

As many as 120 artists will exhibit over 5,000 artworks during the event. In addition, 100 selected photographs will be on display, Dr S M Shivaprakash of Karavali Chitrakala Chavadi told mediapersons.

The inauguration of Kala Parba will be attended by Speaker U T Khader, District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, among others. As part of the programme, an interaction with artists will be held on January 10, followed by a rangoli competition at noon and a drawing competition at 3 pm. In the evening, a Hindustani flute recital, felicitation of artists, and a Yakshagana performance by Saanidhya Residential School and Training Centre will be held.

On January 11, a sculpture art demonstration by students of the Canara Bank-sponsored C E Kamath Institute of Artisans, Karkala, will be held at 11 am, followed by a mehendi competition at 2 pm. A street play by Swaroopa Adhyayana Kendra students, an art workshop by Vishwakarma Kala Parishat artists at 5 pm, a Yakshagana performance by artistes of Poornachandra Yakshakala Prathishtana, Kondadakuli, and a cultural programme titled ‘Radharadhane’ will also be held.

Senior artist and founder-president of Karavali Chitrakala Chavadi, B Ganesha Somayaji, said artists aged between 8 and 80 years will take part in Kala Parba. Budding young artists have been provided an opportunity to showcase their talent through the event, and many are now earning their livelihood through art. With the objective of offering equal encouragement to all age groups, events such as children’s art competitions, Kalaspandhana, live art demonstrations and art exhibitions have been planned.

Artists from various districts and states are arriving in Mangaluru to exhibit their works, providing a platform for interaction, exchange of experiences and cultural dialogue. Artists will set up stalls from across the state and from places such as Kasaragod, Kannur, Kochi, Davanagere, Hubballi, Chitradurga, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Hassan and Udupi.

He said on January 10 at 3 pm, a watercolour painting demonstration on environmental awareness, measuring five feet in height and 20 feet in length, will be conducted by students of renowned artist B S Desai from Hassan. Around 800 students will participate in drawing competitions to be held in lower primary, higher primary, high school and college categories. Every participating student will receive a certificate and a medal. Spot registration will be available, and students must produce their educational institution ID.

Artist Dinesh said a national-level photography competition on the theme “Discovery of India” has been organised as part of Kala Parba. About 650 entries were received, of which 100 have been selected for the exhibition. Winners will receive cash prizes of Rs 25,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively, while winners in theme-based categories will receive Rs 1,000 each.

Sharadhi Prathishtana vice-president Punik Shetty said artists earned business worth Rs 27 lakh during last year’s Kala Parba. As part of the event, the road in front of Kadri Park will be closed. Parking arrangements have been made at Padua School ground, Padua grounds, KPT and the Circuit House.