Mangaluru: Mangalore University will adopt a cultural policy from the coming month, the university’s Vice Chancellor Prof. P. S. Yadapadithaya, has announced.
He was addressing the gathering after releasing ‘Modepu’, a posthumous exhibition and introductory documentation of modern departed coastal artists compiled under the auspices of Art Kanara Trust, Intach Mangalore Chapter, and Mangalore University’s N. G. Pavanje Chair in Fine Arts at the Kodialguthu Center for Art & Culture, Ballalbagh here on Sunday November 6.
Modepu is a book containing introductory documentation of 34 modern departed artists of the coastal region, including renowned personalities like K. K. Hebbar, Shivaram Karanth, G. S. Shenoy, B. G. Mohammad, K. V. Acharya, and Ramdas Adyanthaya. An exhibition of the works of these artists is also being held at the same venue until November 12 and is open to the public from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.
“It has been 43 years since the university came into existence. The university has to exhibit its own regional art and cultural artifacts. The university has its own sports policy, and now there is a thought process for awarding scholarships and fellowships by adopting a cultural policy. An art camp will also be organised at the university,” said Prof. Yadapadithaya.
Assuring that the university would support art and cultural activities, he said that the N. G. Pavanje Chair in Fine Arts would be free of all financial obstacles.
“The introduction and documentation of modern departed artists of the undivided Dakshina Kannada District is a significant contribution to the State. Such documentation should be done elsewhere in the state too,” said C. S. Krishna Setty, an eminent Art Historian and Former chairman of the Central Lalitha Kala Academy, New Delhi.
Earlier, Lalitha Kala Academy had a tradition of bringing out books. Congratulating the organisers for doing the work that should have been done by Lalitha Kala Academy, Krishna Setty said that once upon a time Mysore University used to continuously bring out books at low cost and also conduct lecture programmes. He opined that such work should be carried out by all universities, including Mangalore University. There should be a permanent system for exhibiting the works of departed artists in Mangaluru. He added that the works of departed artists should reach people instead of being dumped in a corner.
Senior Artist B. Ganesh Somayaji observed that although it was a very challenging task to bring out this work, it was a work of international quality. The author of the book, Dr. Janardana Havanje, described the work of compiling ‘Modepu’ as a tribute to the departed artists.
V. U. George, the editor of Mangalore Today, suggested that such efforts should be digitised to control the costs and make them accessible to more people.
Subhash Chandra Basu, the Project Advisor and Convener of the Intach Mangalore Chapter, welcomed the gathering and compered the programme. Nemiraj Shetty delivered the vote of thanks. Shervani Bhat introduced the guests.
The exhibition will travel to Udupi from November 20 to 27, 2022, where it will be hosted under the auspices of the INTACH Udupi Sub-Chapter and Artists’ Forum, Udupi, at Gallery Dristi, behind Alankar Theatre, K. M. Marg, Udupi.
The 34 Artists:
The works of the following 34 artists are included in the documentation:
Gopalakrishna Pavanje (1866 – 1945)
N. G. Pavanje (1892 – 1965)
K. Shivarama Karanth (1902 – 1997)
Simon S. Rasquinha (1910 – 1987)
K. K. Hebbar (1911 – 1996)
B. P. Bayiri (1912 – 1996)
Mangesh Shirali (1917 – 2004)
L. K. Shevgoor (1919 – 1966)
B. G. Mohammad (1920 – 2010)
L. P. Anchan (1927 – 1997)
G. S. Kodikal (1929 – 2019)
L. G. Kamath (1931 – 1995)
Padmaraj (1931 – 2012)
Chandrashekhar (1933 – 2015)
Kamyenda Muthanna (1935 – 2004)
Girija Yadav (1935 – 2004)
Ka Va Acharya (1937 – 2013)
G. S. Shenoy (1938 – 1994)
K. P. Shenoy (1938 – 2017)
Pramila Cholaiah (1939 – 2002)
Panduranga Rao (1940 – 2019)
P. P. Karanth (1940 – 2011)
K. L. Bhat (1941 – 2020)
M. R. Pavanje (1942 – 2021)
N. S. Bhat (1944 – 2021)
Ashok Shirali (1945 – 2007)
Arya Acharya (1945 – 2016)
Sanjiva Shetty (1945 – 2007)
Ramdas Adyanthaya (1947 – 2019)
K. V. Rao (1948 – 2021)
Mohan Sona (1954 – 2020)
Milind Nayak (1954 – 2019)
Jagadish Ammunje (1955 – 2013)
Laxminarayana (1967 – 2003)
