TV Times

TV Times

'Kala Pola' comes to town
Sri Lanka's annual open-air art gallery cum art fair 'Kala Pola', comes alive this year on Sunday 02 April 2006 on the shady sidewalks outside the Art Gallery and the Vihara Maha Devi Park in Colombo. Conceived and organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Kala Pola enjoys the unbroken patronage of the John Keells Group for the 13th consecutive year.

This year's Kala Pola will feature nearly 300 artists and sculptors who will display their unbridled creativity to an appreciative and growing Sri Lankan and expatriate clientele, in an explosion of colour, filled with music, song, fun and contagious bonhomie.

'Kala Pola' initially took off from the concept of the open air summer art fairs in European capitals, like Montmartre in Paris, with their fascinating ambiance of colour, exuberance and camaraderie after a cold and dismal winter and possibly a chilly spring.

In keeping with this spirit, for just one Sunday from sunrise to sunset, artists and sculptors from all over Sri Lanka will converge at Kala Pola … from the better known to the lesser known… showcasing their talents to an art loving public. Adding to the wide canvas of personalities will be caricaturists, stilt walkers, virindu singers, fortune tellers etc.

Chairman of the George Keyt Foundation Cedric de Silva said, ‘From humble beginnings more than a decade ago, Kala Pola has now grown to be a national event. It attracts hundreds of artists and sculptors from all parts of Sri Lanka who are given the unique opportunity of displaying their work to a vast number of buyers. These are in fact highly talented, yet very simple men and women, who may not be able to exhibit in Colombo's regular art galleries’

Sumithra Gunesekera, Director John Keells Holdings said, ‘The John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation is strongly committed to supporting the arts and culture of our country and we consider it a privilege to extend our patronage to Kala Pola, which is one of the most celebrated events in Sri Lanka's cultural calendar. Kala Pola showcases varied talent from all parts of Sri Lanka and provides a platform for budding artists to display their work and launch their careers. I am also very happy to note that Kala Pola is a good source of income for these artists, empowering them financially while encouraging them to pursue their careers.’

As in past years, 'Kala Pola 2006' will kick off at 9.30 am and continue throughout the day with its changing sights and smells, sounds and colours, till the birds come home to roost and dusk settles on Colombo city.

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