Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 13 (EMN): A two-day ‘Art Festival,’ which was organised in commemoration of the ‘World Art Day,’ culminated at Old NST complex in Kohima on Wednesday. The two-day event witnessed at least dozens of full-time artists displaying their artworks on the street.
Speaking at the culmination programme, the advisor of Task Force for Music and Art (TaFMA), Theja Meru, thanked all the participants for their support despite artists being a small community in the state.
‘Artists and their works gave light and life to the busy street. They have added colours and value in the middle of the town and lit up the plaza,’ he said adding ‘When the place was without colours, it was their paintings and works that gave life and light to the city.’
He told them to be proud of being an artist and of what they do. While appreciating the artists, he informed that artworks worth more than INR 3 lakh were sold during lockdown.
‘To be a painter, the struggle is absolutely real and there’s no magic to it. A lot of famous painters around the world struggled to make ends meet yet they did not give up,’ he said. He encouraged them to multi-task in their everyday life.
‘You can engage in any kind of work- be a delivery (boy), waiter etc. and can still be a painter. Whatever you do is art’, Meru said.
He further told the artist community to come forward and be connected with TaFMA so that they could collaborate and come up with more concepts in the future.
He further stated that TaFMA as a department would continue to support and see that artists’ works are sold.
In the competition for kids (under 10), Tsentsüthung of class 10 student from Mezhür Higher Secondary School was declared the winner of the competition, while Kegwayhun Khing, a Class 2 student of Grace Higher Secondary School, secured the second position and Katimenla, a class 6 student from Bethel Higher Secondary School secured the third position.
The ‘Art festival’ was organised by TaFMA in collaboration with the Visual Artists of Nagaland to commemorate the ‘World Art Day.’
An artist on behalf of Visual Artist of Nagaland said the two-day event was successful and thanked all for supporting the artists.
The project director of TaFMA, Hovithal Sothu, chaired the culmination programme. He also gave away certificates to all the participants.