Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Academy of Art under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, celebrated its 72nd Foundation Day at Rabindra Bhavan in New Delhi. The event was attended by Shri K.K. Mishra, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, as Chief Guest, who paid floral tributes to Rabindranath Tagore's statue and visited a Timeline Exhibition depicting the Akademi's legacy and achievements over seventy-two years.
During the ceremony, two publications were formally released: "Chitrakar Kanu Desai" and "Kalaguru Ravishankar Raval," both authored by Shri Kanaiyalal Fakirchand Patel (Kanu Patel) and published by the Lalit Kala Akademi. The event featured a live painting demonstration by eminent artist Shri Rajesh Sharma, along with classical dance and vocal music performances by artists from the National Institute of Kathak Kendra.
Regional centers across India organized various activities to mark the occasion. The Bhubaneswar center conducted a Watercolor Painting Workshop with art students and retired employees. Kolkata center inaugurated the exhibition "Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram" and felicitated senior artists. Chennai hosted a painting demonstration and interactive session by first-batch Research Scholar Shri Bhagvan S. Chavan. Lucknow organized a Lecture and Cultural Evening with Prof. Sunil Saxena, followed by musical performances. The Northeast Regional Centre in Agartala conducted a Serigraphy Workshop producing 250 cloth bags with the Akademi logo. Ahmedabad held an interactive artists' discussion, while Patna and Shimla offices conducted tree plantation and painting workshops respectively.
Established in 1954, Lalit Kala Akademi has been promoting visual arts through exhibitions, artists' camps, workshops, scholarships, publications, and research initiatives. The event was attended by Shri Aneish P Rajan, Director of Ministry of Culture; Shri Rajiv Kumar, Secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi; eminent artists including Shri Mukul Pawar and Shri Rajesh Sharma; along with artists, scholars, staff, pensioners, and art enthusiasts.