Most of the artists who took part in the ‘Art for People’ festival organised by the Rangoli Metro Art Center on Mahatma Gandhi Road were disappointed with low footfall and sales.

The exhibition was held in an effort to bring art to common people, but there were not many takers for the oil paintings, pottery, murals and water paintings on display.

Artists who had come all the way from rural Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were unhappy with the small crowds as they could not make profits.

L S Kali, an artist from Shirgaon in Belagavi, thinks that the event was not publicised enough. “I had taken part in Chitra Santhe and this was nothing like it. It seems as if they did not make much effort to give publicity. I expected more people to arrive here, but it has not been so and I have not been able to sell any painting,” he said.

Another local artist Manjula said, “I have been here since morning and I have hardly sold anything. Not many people have come for the exhibition. I don’t know if it is because of the exam season or because of the heat,” said Manjula, an artist from the city.

She was disappointed with the footfall and pointed out that more people were visiting the stalls on the lower level of the boulevard, where another exhibition was set up. In spite of offering paintings priced at Rs 600 for Rs 400, she could not attract customers to buy her oil paintings of landscapes.

Balaji Margonda, assistant curator at the art centre, said they had publicised the event through newspapers and hoardings at Metro stations. “We had a similar art exhibition during the Open Street festival on MG Road last year and we attracted huge crowds. We expected similar response this time. However, some artists did manage to sell their work,” he said.

Balaji said they intend to conduct the exhibition every month. “If we have it regularly, there will be more awareness among people,” he said. The artists did not have to pay to enter the exhibition and they were provided food and a certificate of participation.
DH News Service

Low footfall at expo causes heartbreak for artists