Till now art in Andhra Pradesh far from brisk, but changing this scenario, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) coming up with a sprawling Art Center along with two auditoriums and conference halls at Saligramapuram near the National Highway 16. A whooping Rs.15.72 crore has been allotted for the development of the project.
The project to be developed will contain an art center with art galleries, workshop space and training halls at the cellar floor spread across 1,642 sq. meter area. The workshop provides opportunity to the artists to get together and do the works. The art center will be a space where established and emerging artists can come and spend time to work. It will provide a big exposure to the people in understanding contemporary art by interacting with artists.
The ground floor of the art center will have an auditorium of 370 seating capacity, conference halls, food court while the remaining two floors will have another auditorium with a seating capacity of 205 and a conference hall and space for other services of total site area is 6,335 sq metres out of which the built-up area is 4,321 sq. meters
The Art Center will not only fill up the void in the art space, but the state-of-the-art infrastructure and unique concept will also help in making AP the center of artistic activities. The art center would bring up a change in the contemporary art and would give a push to the artists of the state.
Prof. Ravi Shankar Patnaik, artist and faculty of the Department of Fine Arts, Andhra University, stated that, “The art center would be a space where established and emerging artists can come and spend time to work. It will provide a big exposure to the people in understanding contemporary art by interacting with artists. Unlike galleries, where only works of artists are showcased, this art center will have an active space for art workshop. I have also proposed to VPT to have couple of lodging rooms for visiting artists.”
