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The Chennai launch of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), India, was held on Sunday, January 14, 2007, at the Lalit Kala Akademi (Regional Centre), Chennai.
Sunita Kohli, founder and chairperson of NMWA India, launched the museum and inaugurated Explorations, a week of inaugural programmes (from January 14-20, 2007) to mark the launch. The inaugural reception was attended by NMWA (India) trustees including Rajshree Pathy, chairman managing director, Rajshree Group of Companies; Priya Paul of The Park Hotels; Sharan Apparao of Apparao Galleries and Deborah Thiagarajan, president, Madras Craft Foundation -
DakshinaChitra.
Founded on December 5, 2005, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (India ) aims to highlight the contributions made by women artists to the culture of India. NMWA (India) plans to establish its main centre in New Delhi with possible branches across the country. Its present goal is to be a virtual museum.
Emphasising the changing role of the cultural institution of the museum in contemporary society, NMWA India trustee Deborah Thiagarajan says, "Museums must facilitate the creation of a platform that fosters creativity. This is why we are creating programmes that support and promote upcoming talent. The arts are an open field and without adequate support good talent is likely to get buried. This is why museums must place increased emphasis on programmes and working with communities."
In keeping with the pioneering vision of the NMWA India, Explorations showcased outstanding women in contemporary visual, performing and literary arts in India through exhibitions, poetry reading sessions, lectures, dance and panel discussions in a week of programmes. Explorations was organised by DakshinaChitra, NMWA India's museum partner in south India.
Sunita Kohli, in her inaugural address, said this was the first centre of NMWA launched outside Delhi, thanks to DakshinaChitra. "Chennai is a city I personally like enormously and have great respect for its art and cultural traditions," she added.
"With the founding of this Museum for Women, we hope to 'redefine traditional histories of art'. We also plan to be the foremost museum dedicated to celebrating the diverse artistic achievements of women. The museum plans to honour women artists of the past, promote the accomplishments of women artists of the present, and assure the place of women artists in the future," she said.
"We have undertaken an ambitious task in the scope and breadth of our goals. This is the first museum of its kind in India and in Asia. But hopefully, with the dynamism of our trustees and the advise of our eminent patrons in the US., UK and Europe , we will be able to accomplish our stated goals, and will be able to establish a legacy and a special place for women. Of course, goals such as these are constantly evolving."
This year, a launch will take place, literally, in all the four metropolitan cities of India. Next month, the museum will be launched in Coimbatore - organised by two of its trustees, Rajshree Pathy and Sharan Apparao. In March 2007, the museum will be launched in Mumbai by the trustees there, Sunita pointed out.
A 'brilliant' calendar of events was under preparation, she said, adding that this included a major event on 'Women in Cinema', this being the 75th anniversary of Indian cinema. A major art book on 'The History of Women Artists in India' is being donated to and written for NMWA, India. This contribution is being made by Ashish Anand of 'Delhi Art Gallery'.
Work had commenced on a Virtual Museum, and the first section will be on Bharatanatyam, Sunita said.
R Rangaraj
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