Noted painters Samir Aich and Bimal Kundu, Regional Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi Dr Rahas Kumar Mohanty, danseuse Alokananda Roy, Pravrajika Bodhatmaprana Mataji and Pravrajika Vigishapranā Mataji of the Sister Nivedita Heritage Museum, along with Lake Club Joint Secretary Debabrata Datta, lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the opening of the popular event.
Artists from various cultural disciplines were present on the occasion.
Sixteen renowned artists’ groups have set up stalls at the Mela Prangan, displaying a wide range of creative works by their members.
Speaking on the occasion, Samir Aich said the Lake Club Art Fair has emerged as an important platform, especially for young artists, giving them an opportunity not only to showcase but also to sell their creations.
Lake Club Joint Secretary Debabrata Datta said the Art Fair has grown into one of the city’s significant cultural events. Besides rowing and other sporting activities, the club, he said, is committed to nurturing cultural initiatives as part of its responsibility to society.
In her address, Pravrajika Vigishapranā Mataji of the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission thanked the Lake Club for organising the unique event and noted that both Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita were great connoisseurs of fine arts. She added that the Sister Nivedita Museum in north Kolkata houses an exhibition gallery with several notable artworks.
Regional Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi, Dr Rahas Kumar Mohanty, also expressed his appreciation for the Lake Club’s initiative to popularise the fair and support young and emerging artists.