PORVORIM: Mario de Miranda who was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 will have a gallery dedicated to his works at the Old Secretariat within a year when it will be converted into a full fledged Museum, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced during a calling attention motion at the Goa Assembly on Tuesday.
The gallery will later be shifted to a full fledged Museum at Old Goa. Mario Miranda was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 2012.
Miranda started his career in an advertising studio, where he worked for four years, before taking up cartooning full-time. He got his first break as a cartoonist with The Illustrated Weekly of India and later for times of India and economic times, which published his works. Miranda's big break came in 1974, when, at the invitation of the United States Information Services, he travelled to America, which enabled him to promote his art and interact with other cartoonists in the United States. He held solo exhibitions in over 22 countries, including the United States, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, France, Yugoslavia, and Portugal.
Speaking on the calling attention motion tabled by him, Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao said a team should be formed to study the possibility of setting up a gallery at the museum.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said that Mario Miranda's art should be taught to the future generations. Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai suggested that the Mario Miranda Trust be consulted before going ahead with a gallery in his name.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that a committee had already been formed to study setting up of a gallery at the Old Secretariat, after all the classes of Kala Academy are shifted back to Campal. His art would be taught at the Goa College of Art and the full fledged gallery will be set up at the proposed State Museum at Old Goa, he said. Sawant also said that the trustees would be taken into confidence.