24th Kala Pola to be held on 22 Jan

Kala Pola, the annual open-air art fair presented by the George Key Foundation in association with the John Keells Group, will take place for the 24th consecutive year on Sunday, 22 January, along the sidewalks of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7.

The fair is scheduled to commence at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning and is expected to attract thousands of art lovers from around the country as well as some expatriates visiting the island. Entrance will be free, and the organisers have extended an open invitation to everyone with a penchant for all things art to take part in the event.

Kala Pala has been one of the highlights of the local art and cultural calendar for almost a quarter of a century. According to a statement made by the organisers, since its inception in 1993, the fair has drawn inspiration from similar open-air art fairs in Europe, especially the iconic and legendary Montmartre in Paris, and has now evolved into a rich, sought-after cultural event in its own right.

The George Keyt Foundation believes that the Kala Pola has played an important role in creating a keen appreciation of art among the Sri Lankan public over the past two decades.

“The number of artists and visitors has grown dramatically and this year too we expect a record turnout. While promoting the creation and appreciation of good art, Kala Pola is also a very good source of income for the artists. We are once again thankful to the John Keells Group for its invaluable patronage and the tremendous source of strength it has been to us, George Keyt Foundation Chairman Cedric de Silva said.

John Keells Holdings PLC Head of CSR Nadija Tambiah, commenting on the event said, “The benefit of Kala Pola to the Sri Lankan art community is two-fold, in that it allows a forum for the interaction and exchange of ideas between artists as well as allowing the art-loving public an opportunity to sample the new and the old. We are humbled that this fair has fulfilled John Keells Foundation’s vision of ‘empowering the nation for tomorrow’ by launching the careers of several artists at national and international levels.”