PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Like all well-established institutions, the Government College of Art, Chandigarh, has a rich tradition and historical import. Much of its progressive tone and modern trend were set up in 1871 to commemorate Lord Mayo, the British Viceroy of India, and it was thus appropriately named as Mayo School of Art, Lahore. Lockwood Kipling, an accomplished teacher of painting and sculpture, was appointed as the first Principal and Curator of the Lahore Museum.

After the partition this institution was re-established at Shimla in 1951 on the pattern of Mayo School of Art with the untiring efforts of SL Prasher, a renowned artist and art educationist, and the Institution was named as Government School of Art and Craft. This cradle of budding artistic talent was shifted to Chandigarh in 1962 in its own building—generously endowed with large and well-lighted studios designed by the eminent French architect Le Corbusier. Situated in the vicinity of the Government Museum & Art Gallery, adjoining the sprawling expanse of Chandigarh’s Leisure Valley, this College provides an ideal and idyllic environment for many genres of creative pursuits.

The Institution enjoys an international reputation for excellence in the field of visual or plastic arts. The college specializes in cultivating a certain kind of artistic sensibility which simultaneously satisfies the creative demands of a work of art and the practical requirements of the profession. The College has produced a number of nationally and internationally known luminaries.

IT Industry and High-Tech Advancement have opened up new vistas of creative enterprise affecting the visual environment and the consequent desire for instant success and gratification. Art institutions have thus to adapt to the new trends and evolve themselves to keep pace with the changing world. They have to create both climate and ground for investigation and modernization for enabling and encouraging a vast variety of creative expressions that blend the tradition and modernity and make the most of technological possibilities in this age of digitization.

Chandigarh is fast emerging as a hub of cultural activities aided by excellent infrastructural development with an enviable standard of living. Here the allied disciplines of visual arts, architecture, performing arts, and design are together providing a new dimension to the living standard of its people.

Government College of Art is proud of playing a vital role in this exciting process of enriching social consciousness, with a commitment to realizing its full potential as a centre of creative excellence. I take pride in my long association with this prestigious Institution first in the capacity of being one of its third-generation students, then teacher, and now as Principal.

The knowledge and wisdom that my visionary predecessors possessed gave the Institution its sustainable strength and progressive motivation. I, in my own humble way, have been emulating the inspiring example of these luminaries and using my inherited strength in the making of this Institution a nucleus of art education in the country. And in this endeavour I have with me the dedication of the faculty and the bubbling energy of the students—above all, the help and support of the Chandigarh Administration.

D S Kapoor

Principal