Bangaloreans have an eye for beauty. And if you needed evidence for that, all you had to do was get to the Chitra Santhe organised by the Chitrakala Parishath (CKP). Visitors to the Santhe this year spent lavishly on art, and sales crossed Rs1 crore, said the organisers.
Good quality art, and at prices that were affordable. While many visitors left happy after having got a good price for paintings that caught their eye, the organisers too had much to be happy about as the sales this year was a record one. “Crowds were in as early as 8 am, and sales started early in the day,” said Dr Raghavendra Rao H Kulkarni, principal, CKP.
“Last year, the sales were not this phenomenal,” he said and added that the tremendous response from art lovers this year could be explained by the pricing. While paintings were priced even at Rs2 lakh, the ones that were sold most were in the range of Rs60,000 to Rs70,000, Dr Kulkarni explained.
The organisers said the feedback indicated that many visitors would have liked to return, and that one day was not sufficient time. However, there are major expenses involved in prolonging such a Santhe. “This year we spent approximately Rs6 lakh,” said a source, listing the various heads of expenditure:
accommodation, food arrangements for the seating etc. Also, the location of the exhibition, near the college, also makes it impossible for the organisers to extend the Santhe.
However, a request is pending with the government for a dedicated artists’ corner in the city, where artists from across the state can display their works over the weekend. This would enable even artists located in remote areas to showcase their talent and earn a livelihood. “A corner in Freedom Park could be used for the purpose,” said Dr Kulkarni.
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