Kala Pola at Nelum Pokuna
For 19th consecutive year:
"Kala Pola", Colombo's open air art gallery cum art fair presented by
The George Keyt Foundation, will spread the sidewalks of Nelum Pokuna
Mawatha (formerly, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha), Colombo with an array
of colours yet again on Sunday, January 29. This event has continued to
enjoy the support of the John Keells Group for the 19th consecutive
year, and is easily Colombo city's grandest and most-awaited annual one
day street art festival, showcasing masterpieces by prominent painters
and sculptors from all over Sri Lanka.
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John Keells Holdings PLC, Head of CSR
Nadija Thambiah and other officials at the press conference |
Kalapola started in 1993 with 35 artists, and has drawn inspiration
from the open air summer art fairs overseas such as the legendary
Montmartre in Paris and Turl Street Art Festival at Oxford University,
UK. In an atmosphere filled with melody, song, fun and bonhomie, this
year's Kala Pola will feature over 300 artists and sculptors who will
showcase their inspired and innovative creations to an ever-increasing
Sri Lankan, expatriate and foreign clintele.
Through the years, Kala Pola has provided artists an encouraging
boost by giving them a platform to be successful and careers in both
local and international arenas. It promotes art as a fruitful and
professional career and helps them broaden their horizons and build
steady clintele.
Chairman of the George Keyt Foundation, Cedric De Silva said, "Every
year Kala Pola attracts hundreds of artists from all parts of the
country and gives them the rare opportunity of showcasing their work to
a large number of art enthusiasts and buyers. We take pride in the fact
that Kala Pola, which had a very simple beginning two decades ago, has
now grown into a sizeable national event. This is undoubtedly an
advantage to these highly talented artists, some of whom may not be able
to exhibit in Colombo's renowned art galleries".
John Keells Holdings PLC, Head of CSR Nadija Thambiah said, "This
event is all about creating opportunities for amateur artists islandwide
to display their creations and launch their careers. We are happy to
note that Kala Pola is a viable source of assisting the livelihoods of
these artists and thereby encouraging them to pursue their careers in
art. Nurturing art is essential to preserve the soul of society and it
is our responsibility to keep creativity alive.
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Artists at
Kala Pola |
The John Keells Foundation is dedicated to support the arts and
culture of this country. It is indeed an honour to extend our patronage
for the 19th successive time to Kala Pola."
John Keells Foundation is the arm of the John Keells Group dedicated
to CSR. It strives to make a positive difference by enriching the
communities in which the Group operates.
The Foundation has continued to support and engage in sustainable
projects under various focus areas of corporate social responsibility.
Due to the colourful facet that it has gained over the years, this
year's Kala Pola hopes to draw more artists from the North and East. In
addition, this event, which attracts a crowd of more than 25,000, has
shown a rise in the number of tourists being drawn to the fair, making
it a major tourist attraction in the heart of Colombo.
It is easily one of the much-talked-about and best-visited events in
Sri Lanka's cultural calendar. This is due to the intriguing variety and
different styles of paintings, art and crafts which are seen and are
available at Kala Pola, making it a unique personal experience.
Kala Pola begins at 8.00 am on Sunday January 29 and will continue to
display the beautiful creations throughout the day, bringing a spectrum
of colour and revelry to the soul of Colombo, until twilight settles
over the skyline.
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