Tina Ambami urges NGOs to promote child artists

Mumbai, Mar 31 (UNI) Chief patron of Harmony Foundation Tina Ambani today urged NGOs to come forward to promote street and underprivileged child artists and assist them in their education and rehabilitation.

At the preview of the 11th Harmony Art Show, Mrs Ambani said such artists should be provided a platform to showcase their work, assistance for education and rehabilitation and NGOs should play a 'leading role' in this regard.

Hailing the efforts of 'Aseema', an NGO which is showcasing the works of street child artists at the show for the fifth consecutive year, she said such initiatives would go a long way towards promoting creativity among these children.

She also lauded the NGO for providing education to such children and adopting a school at Bandra.

Mrs Ambani also congratulated the Vasanti Muzumdar Trust for instituting awards at this year's art show, first of its kind in the country, for two such child artists, 17-year old Ramesh Ghayal and 14-year old Sunita Gaddam.

Legendary singer and Bharat Ratna, Lata Mangeshkar will inaugurate the art show this evening.

This year's show at the Nehru Centre features 280 works of 159 artists. In addition to 155 Indian artists, four artists- one from UK and three from France, will also be displaying their works at the show. In keeping with its objective of promoting young and upcoming artists, the show will give a 'pride of place' to young talent.

Almost two out of every three exhibits at the show will come from emerging artists who will share the honour and limelight with some of the country's finest artists such as Satish Gujral, Akbar Padamsee, Amarnath Sehgal, Gulam Sheikh, Manu Parekh and Sakti Burman.

Mr Jogen Chowdhury has been selected as the 'Artist in Focus' for this year's art show.

'Art in the Family' is the theme for this year's show which has been conceived as a tribute to celebrated families such as the Parekhs, the Choyals, the Adivrekars and the Burmans, who have through generations dedicated themselves to the cause of art.

The show will be opened to public from tomorrow to April 9.

UNI