and Banglanatak.com is reaching out to these artisans to bring
their creativity to the fore. The latest endeavour is the Art and Culture Mela
that is being hosted by Museum of Goa. The venue will be transformed to suit
the needs of the artisans and performers. Art and Culture Mela will be held
from December 8 to 11, 2017 from 11am to 8pm. The inauguration will be held at
the hands of Gurudas Pilarnekar, Director of Art and Culture, Government of
Goa.
Handicraft stalls with artisans from Bengal will include Sabal,
Madur, Dokra, Patachitra, Kenjakura Handloom from Bengal while the Goan
stalls will showcase Lavo and Bamboo work. The folk performances will
include Bauls of Bengal on December 8, Bengal Goa Folk ensemble on
December 9 and Chau Dance on December 10.
“Museum of Goa is organising such an event for the first time as
we are always promoting art in any form. Banglanatak.com has been doing great
work in Goa and especially promoting hinterland tourism by reaching out to
artisans from different parts of India including Goa. It is a huge organisation
headed by Amitava Bhattacharya and they have connected to over 45,000
craftsmen. At MOG, we support this cultural entrepreneurship,” says Dr Subodh
Kerkar, the director and founder of Museum of Goa.
Banglanatak.com’s Goa chapter has been operational since August
2014 and they have presented many folk festivals and musical collaborations.
After Kala Academy, Panjim and Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, this will be the third
venue for an art and culture event.
Rajashree Mukherjee is the resident representative of the Goa
branch of Banglanatak. com. She is constantly in touch with the Goan artists
here. “There are various forms of handicrafts that will be explored at the
mela. In Goa itself, Lavo is a soft grass mat made especially by the
villagers of Avedem in Quepem taluka while the bamboo weaving art will be
showcased by the artists from Valpoi,” says Rajashree.
She further adds, “Sabal and Madur are products
made from two types of grass while Dokra deals with metal art. Patachitra
is a unique form of storytelling that uses a scroll painting, songs are
sung as the scroll is gradually unrolled to reveal the entire painting. Rita
Shome, a NIFT alumnus and an award winning fashion designer from Bengal, will
be displaying her collection in Kenjakura (home textile), a clothing/
accessory collection with Kantha work and Kushmandi (wooden mask
inspired utility product range).”
Interestingly, each of these artisans will be reaching out to
the audience for the first time. The artisans are not repeated for the
exhibitions, which give them the unique opportunity to connect at one go
itself.
Art
and Culture Mela is being held at Museum of Goa, Pilerne from December 8 to 10,
2017 with the day-long handicraft exhibitions and folk performances from Bengal
and Goa from 6pm to 8pm
