Colombo readies for Kala Pola
Colombo is all set to come alive in a massive riot of colours on
Sunday, January 21, 2016 as Sri Lanka's internationally acclaimed
open-air art fair, Kala Pola, opens along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha in
Colombo.
Kala Pola is presented by The George Keyt Foundation in association
with the John Keells Group. It opens at 8.00 a.m. and will continue
until 9.00 p.m. the same night.
Seated from left are Michael Anthonisz (Trustee, George Keyt
Foundation), Nihal Rodrigo (Deputy Chairman, George Keyt
Foundation), Sita de Silva (Trustee, George Keyt
Foundation), Cedric de Silva (Chairman, George Keyt
Foundation), Nadija Tambiah (Head of CSR, John Keells
Holdings PLC), Arun Dias Bandaranaike (Trustee, George Keyt
Foundation) and artists R. Pragash, Channa Ekanayake and
Sudath Abeysekara |
As it has done for the past 22 years, Kala Pola is billed to attract
several thousands of visitors from all parts of the country. Added to
this are the large numbers of resident and visiting expatriates from
different parts of the world who patronise the event as a happy hunting
ground for a variety of Sri Lankan art on offer in a fun-filled
atmosphere of music and entertainment.
Since its inception in 1993, Kala Pola has drawn inspiration from
similar open-air art fairs in Europe, especially Montmartre in Paris. It
has evolved into a rich cultural event over the years and is today a
much-awaited and not-to-be-missed event in Colombo's annual cultural
calendar.
Presented by The George Keyt Foundation, Kala Pola has continued to
enjoy the generous patronage and strong partnership of the John Keells
Group over the past 22 years under its corporate social responsibility
programme, which is committed to supporting the development and
promotion of culture and the arts in Sri Lanka.
Chairman of The George Keyt Foundation, Cedric de Silva said Kala
Pola has played a significant role these past two decades in creating a
greater appreciation of art among the Sri Lankan public. "Records show
us that the numbers of artists and visitors have grown exponentially and
this year too we expect a very large turnout. In addition to promoting
the creation and appreciation of good art, Kala Pola is also a very good
source of income for the artists," de Silva added.
Head of CSR John Keells Holdings PLC, Nadija Tambiah, said that the
John Keells Foundation's vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow'
is manifest in the benefit that both artists and the art-loving public
derive from Kala Pola.
"An important launch pad for artists and sculptors to embark on and
build their careers, Kala Pola has also launched several artists at
national and international levels. It provides a chance for artists to
learn from one another and enables society at large to appreciate local
art, thus fostering Sri Lankan art in a multitude of styles and genres,"
she said, adding that from very modest beginnings way back in 1993, Kala
Pola has transformed itself into an international event.
The John Keells Foundation meanwhile continues to host Sri Lanka's
first and only corporate digital art gallery (www.srilankanartgallery.com)
enabling Sri Lankan artists to showcase and sell their work throughout
the year to local and foreign buyers. The main website, Sri Lankan Art
Gallery, also hosts the 'John Keells Art Gallery', which is a platform
for a collection of curated art, selected by a panel of curators who are
experts in their field. The curated site thus provides an aspirational
element to the artists who are registered on the Sri Lankan Art Gallery
as they are able to benchmark their work against the curated selections
for their own development and growth.
As always, Kala Pola is free of charge and open to the public.
|