Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi gives Scholarships to 9 Young artists – India News Calling

Chandigarh,07.07.17-Under the helm of its new President celebrated artist Diwan Manna, Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi is turning a new leaf and starting afresh with host of interesting events. 

Addressing a press conference at the Akademi’s Sector 16 office at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Diwan Manna announced that the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi has introduced Scholarships for the first time with the selection of nine talented young artists from Punjab, for the year 2017.

The Scholarships are being started at the initiative of Diwan Manna, artist and President Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, who had, earlier in 2008 as Chairman of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, started similar schemes there also.

Each scholarship holder would get Rs. 1,20,000/- (Rupees one lakh twenty thousand).

Announcing the names of the first ever recipients of these scholarships by Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Manna introduced the budding artists to media persons, who have been selected after one to one interviews by internationally renowned artist and curator of Kochi Muziris Biennale Sudarshan Shetty and known artist S Raj Kumar.

For most of the applicants interacting with Sudarshan Shetty was a life time experience irrespective of the fact whether they were selected for the scholarship or not.

The scholarships are being given to budding artists, between 20 and 30 years of age.

Interview process involved going through the portfolios of the artists, looking at the original art works and knowing about the artistic, intellectual and craftsmanship skills of the artists. 22 artists from Punjab and Chandigarh were shortlisted for the interviews out of the total 58 applicants.

Some of the scholarships are being sponsored by private sponsors and some are funded by the PLKA.

The scholarships are being named after living and past legends from the field of art of Punjab.

The past legends in whose names the scholarships are being given are: Amrita Sher-Gil, Dr. M S Randhawa, Dr. Mulk Raj Anand and Manjit Bawa.

 The living senior personalities from the field of art in whose name these scholarships are being given are: Satish Gujral, Krishen Khanna, Prof. B N Goswamy, Paramjit Singh and Raghu Rai.

 The Following candidates have been selected for the PLKA Scholarships for the year 2017:

1. Ashima Raizada, Mohali  –  Multimedia – Raghu Rai Scholarship (Living Legend) 

1. Baljeet Singh, Chak Singhewala, Jalalabad, Fazilka – Sculpture – Prof. B N Goswamy Scholarship (Living Legend)

1. Gurdeep Singh Dhaliwal, Shekhupura Maur, Barnala – Photography – Dr. Mulk Raj Anand Scholarship (Past Legend)

1. Jagwinder Singh, Gidderwaha, Jalalabad, Muktsar – Multimedia – Satish Gujral Scholarship (Living Legend)

1. Jaspreet Singh, Akkanwali, Mansa – Painting – Dr. M S Randhawa Scholarship (Past Legend)

1. Mandeep Singh, Khanna – Print-Making – Paramjit Singh Scholarship (Living Legend)

1. Pranab Sood,  Ludhiana – Painting – Amrita Sher-Gil Scholarship (Past Legend)

1. Rajinder Kaur, Dhakoli, Zirakpur – Print making – Manjit Bawa Scholarship (Past Legend)

1. Simrandeep Kaur, Amritsar – Painting, Krishen Khanna Scholarship (living Legend)

The portraits of the selected artists along with images of their art works are attached with this email.

This is the first time that Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi has started these Scholarships to promote and recognize talented young and upcoming artists of the State of Punjab.

The scholarships are aimed at providing talented artists a platform and to promote research and quest for individual signature in their respective fields. The scholarships were open for disciplines of drawing, graphics/ print making, painting, sculpture, multi media, photography and installation etc. The selected artists are practitioners of either of the above given disciplines of art.

The Scholarship programme is a part of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi’s continuing effort to promote, disseminate and encourage art and culture in this region.

In its efforts to provide better facilities, platform and opportunities to the artists of the region,  Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi is coming up with innovative ideas that would create an amiable environment for the development of arts and help sustain creativity. The Akademi is engaging with the art fraternity and art lovers at various levels to bring about a whiff of fresh air that would change the way we perceive consume and relate to art.

Artists residing in Punjab and Chandigarh were eligible for the scholarships. each selected artist would get rupees one lakh twenty thousand as scholarship during a period of one year.