IT IS not uncommon for Hindus to invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesh at the beginning of a venture - be it a business, answering an exam… or even writing one’s first article. Ganesh is known to Hindus as the god of knowledge as well as the remover of obstacles and is considered the most important god among all. Such is the popularity of the god with the elephant’s trunk that He also acts as a muse for artists.

THE STANDARD of education in the state and country are extremely low in comparison to international standards” is the expression of every citizen of India, who is genuinely concerned about the state of education in the country. We have been lamenting for more than a century about the low educational standard and yet are in the same state. Why? What are the reasons due to which we are unable to raise the standard of at least a single university, which could surface in the list of top 500 universities in the world?

GALLERY ATTIC is exhibiting the drawings and paintings of Goa’s senior most artist, Vamona Navelcar, from May 9-30. This is the artist’s second exhibition at the gallery. A year ago, Gallery Attic organised a retrospective of Navelcar’s drawings. The show had a curator and art historian Dr. Sarayu Doshi made a trip to Goa to inaugurate the exhibition, which was well received by art lovers. This time, Navelcar has made an attempt to let his creative self explore something different…

LIFE IS a circus. We all perform, either tumbling and fumbling or with confidence and arrogance; walking on the tight rope balancing with the help of a pole - either of spirituality and religion or of money and fame - to the tune of destiny’s music. The performance is filled with various emotions: anxieties, depression, fear and cheer.

THE 51st National Exhibition of Art is currently on view at Kala Academy till January 25, 2009. In this context, Ashok Vajpeyi the Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi was in Goa for four days. In his inaugural address to a few dignitaries, invitee artists from out of Goa, the awardees, few Goan artists and connoisseurs of art, he expressed his happiness about bringing the national exhibition of art to the land of rich art heritage referring to F.N. Souza, V.S. Gaitonde and Laxman Pai in the field of art.

This is an annual event organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, during which thousands of artists from different regions of India send their works to be included in the exhibition for the participation. Every year, out of several thousands, a few hundreds are selected. ‘More disappointments and a few happy souls’ is the usual story. This year, around 26 Goan artists sent their entries, out of which two printmakers - Sachin and Swapnesh - have made the cut.

GALLERY ATTIC is holding an exhibition of Wilson D’Souza and Mohan Naik’s drawings, paintings and sculptures till December 26, 2008. Wilson is showing his works in Panjim after a gap of 3-4 years while Mohan Naik has exhibited his paintings mostly at Gallery Geetanjali in Panjim, but he has created large black and white drawings for this exhibition.

GALLERY ATTIC in Panjim came up with the novel idea of organising a painting exhibition by artists’ children on the occasion of Children’s Day.