2020, Feb 19
BAGLUNG, Feb 19: An International Stone Sculpture Workshop is taking place at Teuwa of Galkot municipality-5 since Tuesday, February 17.
Infrastructures required for organising the event have been developed and additional managerial preparations are going on.
A total of 15 sculptors including 10 from abroad are taking part in the event. National flags of 11 countries have been placed in the event venue,
Materials needed for the workshop including stones have been readied. Arrangements are in place for food and accommodation for guests. Temporary residential tents have been set up. The artists will spend 15 days at Teuwa, exploring their skills. Another group of 10 assistant artists: five from Nepal and five from abroad are joining the event to assist them.
The event aims to establish an open sculpture museum and research centre of an international standard here.
The organiser plans to exhibit works of the participants in a museum in the future. General people including art lovers can visit the workshop. Praveen Kumar Shrestha, Om Khatri, Rajan Kafle, Buddha Chaudhary and Raju Pithakoti are joining the event from Nepal. Foreign participants from China, Italy, France, Taiwan, Canada, India, Israel, Brazil and Ukraine including Japan.
As said by Academy, a total of 205 artists from home and abroad had applied expressing their interests in joining the event, and the group was selected by an expert team which also comprised Central Department of Fine Arts, Tribhuvan University associate professor Hridayballav Pandey. There are certain criteria that artist shall follow during the event period.
They are not allowed to present political leaders, religious leaders, deities and culture of the respective country in their arts. The recommended themes are human civilization, attire, nature and so on.
The preparations for the event had begun on fiscal year 2073/ 74 BS. Around Rs 8.7 million has been spent so far the infrastructure development. It is expected to cost additional 14.17 million to complete the event, the Academy said.
The Federal Government last fiscal year had allocated Rs five million and the Gandaki State had allocated Rs four million for the event. Similarly, the Galkot municipality has ensured Rs 300 thousand for it and House of Representatives member Devendra Poudel provided Rs one million from the budget of electoral constituency and SA member Chandra Bahadur Budha ' Sagar' assisted Rs 500 thousand for organising the event.
The funds were achieved from the individual- level as well. Local Bhim Kumari Kaucha contributed Rs 500, Purna Bahadur Ranabhat Rs 300 thousand, Til Bahadur Khatri Rs 300 thousand, Shanti Shreesh Rs 300 thousand, Dal Bahadur Pun Rs 110 thousand, Yam Bahadur Shrish Rs 100 thousand and Phamlal Nyure had provided Rs 100 thousand for organising the event.
The funds collection is going on spontaneously.
Locals Kul Bahadur Basnet, Jhanka Bahadur Basnet, Man Bahadur Khatri and Tika Kumari Khatri provided land worth Rs three million to organize the event. Gandaki state chief minister Prithvi Subba Gurung inaugurated the event.
Pic Credit : RK ADIPTA GIRI 
