PANAJI: A platform for the creative community of Goa comprising a collective of artists, curators and designers – ‘Goa Open Arts’ has announced its first Fundraiser Exhibition, to be organised in collaboration with Villa 259 (Taproom and Eatery) at Assagao-North Goa.
The three-day event, from 7-9 October 2022; will feature an artwork display, live music performances, art performances, and special offers on food and drinks all weekend. The funds raised through artwork sales and event tickets will support Goa Open Arts festival 2023 and future programming, states a press release.
Since its debut festival in February 2020, Goa Open Arts has continued to offer a platform to support the growing creative community of Goa. In 2020, it launched the ‘Catalyst Art Grant’, which gave a financial grant to artists from Goa to experiment, and make new work. In 2021, the opportunity was extended with the ‘Engage Grant’ for community-based art projects. There have been a total of 12 grantees, one public art project and two exhibitions organised at Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, since the project inception.
The forthcoming fundraiser exhibition includes works in a range of media including painting, drawings, sculptures, prints and photographs by over 35 Goa based artists. Highlights from the show include works by Goa stalwarts Subodh Kerkar, Dayanita Singh, Pradeep Naik,Thomas Louis and Walter D’Souza as well as representation by up and coming talents like Afrah Shafiq, Tarini Sethi, Diptej Vernekar, Asavari Gurav and Urna Sinha.
The weekend celebration will include live performances and events, and a special menu of food and drinks curated by Villa 259 for the occasion. The opening night will feature a private sit-down dinner created by the Goan Master Chef, Avinash Martins for Goa Open Arts, and a performance by emerging artist award winner Bhisaji Gadekar. Live music performances by rock group Aviv Projekt and the soothing sounds of the Pink Moss music group will keep people entertained all weekend long.
“When Goa Open Arts launched its debut festival in 2020, it did so with the spirit of inclusivity and with the belief that the community would come together to support the arts. Our first festival, and our subsequent artists grants, have been executed largely through crowdfunding endeavours. We are grateful to Villa 259 and the artists for their collaboration and involvement in our program, and look forward to the continuing support of the wider community to support independent art and culture in Goa!,” says Sitara Chowfla (for Goa Open Arts).
“Villa 259 was envisioned as a place to enjoy delectable modern European food with more emphasis on authentic Portuguese cuisine and crafted drinks which includes crafted beers, exclusively served at our place. We are happy to see the vision being executed and to serve the patrons just as we imagined. It gives us great pleasure to collaborate with Goa Open Arts, and to be part of an endeavour that supports the local creative community. Efforts put in by Goa Open Arts towards helping the artist community is very commendable and wishing the team the very best in this regard,”says Anuj Khushwah, (for Villa 259).
“The mantra of my restaurant Cavatina is ‘local heart, global soul’, which is a value I believe I share with the Goa Open Arts. Through my work as a chef, I try to pay homage to the culture and tradition of Goa, through a contemporary point of view. For me, food, much like art, is a way of elevating the senses. It gives me great pleasure to support Goa Open Art’s fundraising efforts, and to be part of this beautiful creative process,” states Avinash Martins, Chef, Cavatina.
EVENTS SCHEDULE
8th Oct, 7-12 PM: Opening Party with music performance by Aviv Projekt
9th Oct, 12 – 4PM: Sunday Brunch with music performance Pink Moss [Bottomless Brunch priced at INR 3,000 per head]
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Aadhi Vishal, Afrah Shafiq, Aradhana Seth, Asavari Gurav, Ashish Phaldesai, Chaitalee Morajkar, Conrad Pinto, Dayanita Singh, Deepak Shirodkar, Dheer Kaku, Dhiraj Pednekar, Diptej Vernekar, Francis Desousa, Gaurang Naik, Gopika Chowfla, Gopika Nath, Ipshita Maitra, Kausalya Gadekar, Mansi Trivedi, Minam Apang, Natalie Lycops, Nimmy Joshi, Pakhi Sen, Pradeep Naik, Prashant Panjiar, Ragini Deshpande, Ramdas Gadekar, Shailee Mehta, Shripad Ghurav, Siddhesh Chari, Subodh Kerkar, Swapnesh Vaigankar, Tarini Sethi, Thomas Louis, Urna Sinha, Verodina Ferrao De Souza, Vinita Barretto, Walter D’Souza.
