City beautification efforts through art projects

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 10

Continuing with their efforts to create more spaces in the city that are aesthetically and ecologically pleasing, Kausa Trust has been identifying spots that can become examples in community building. A team of artists and officials of Kausa Trust had also met the MC Commissioner to discuss layout plans for the same.

“We had met the officials in an attempt to collaborate with them for our project that we have been working on since past one year. The beautification project aims at working on spots marked for maximum citizen participation and visibility that will be converted into creative message boards for environment awareness,” informed Brajesh Jolly, director, KT Kala Art gallery, which is run under the aegis of Kausa Trust.

The trust is looking towards creating such spaces at Focal Point and two private colleges, which came forward to collaborate on the project. “The art work done at these spots will be maintained by the respective people associated with the project,” said Jolly.

Similar efforts taken up by city-based artists in collaboration with NGOs had received good response. Senior artist Nita Mohindra of Wither Team had created a mural on a pillar opposite to the bus stand and Dilbir foundation had engaged artist George Emmanual for a similar concept at Kichlew Chowk flyover.

“The irony is that those spaces of art created were overshadowed by the huge advertising hoardings put up by the MC. The purpose with which such art was created was lost,” said Jolly.

Some of the constructive outcomes of such beautification projects taken by individuals or organisations have in the past resulted in creation of an organic garden in wasteland near Focal Point, community compost gardens in Green Avenue and Ranjit Avenue, nature walks and water conservation.

The dumping ground of industrial waste near Freedom Industries at Focal Point turned into a park sometime back by a project initiated by the Eco-Amritsar.