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Spain,    2008    
Had an absolutely brilliant day! - thought i'd let you know how it went 
& include a few pics.
 
I'd advertised the day would start at 1pm and run till 8pm, but the 
first visitors arrived at 11am and they were solid till the last left 
at 8pm - even queuing outside studio to get in at one point!     (We 
were handing out free wine & tapas & had to send out for more wine.)
 
12 out of 14 of the artists that said they'd exhibit did - from UK, 
Ireland, Sweden & Denmark - each exhibiting one piece of work & 
advertising their classes etc. and we must have had over 100 people 
thro too.
 
It had free advertising in local free paper, local tourist office asked 
me for info for them to advertise, I was invited onto local TV to 
promote it, etc.
 
Many of the artists that came (& exhibited) hadn't met other artists in 
the area, so we will probably meet socially every month or so now with 
view to forming co-operative to run our own gallery perhaps.
 
One 62 year old artist came whom I hadn't met before & met another 
ex-pat from UK (86 years old) who comes to my life classes and they 
realised they knew each other from 40 years (& 1000 miles) ago!  As the 
younger one's father had taught art in the older one's house then.    Martin
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NEPAL  2008

KARBI ANGLONG FINE ARTIST and CRAFTSMEN ASSOCIATION

KAFACA 2009

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Dear,Chris Macclure, Eminent artist,Canada,

All the members of Karbi Anglong Fine Artist and Craftsmen Association ( KAFACA) and myself send you a greetings. It gives me immense pleasure to write you about the celebration of International Artist day,2009.

As per our programme schedule, the celebration of International Artist Day was held on the 25th of October,2009 at a small house of Vojaru Club,Rongkhelan ,Diphu,Karbi Anglong ,Assam ,India. The day begins with the busy vehicles running on the road and the whispering people involved in their usual daily life. A small group of local artists started to gather and the children and other adult came with the enthusiasm of participating and witnessing the celebration. Mr.Deben Timung artist and President of Karbi Anglong Fine Artist and Craftsmen Association( KAFACA) dressed in his traditional attire welcome the gathering with his inaugural speech. He brief out the importance of International Artist Day and praised the founder artist Chris MacClure of Canada.The President also extended his best wishes on behalf of KAFACA to all the artist of world wide and the art lovers on this International Artist Day.

As part of an encouragement and awareness of the International Artist Day, a poster painting competition was organized for the age of 6th to 12th and 13th years above category. A demonstration on painting was also held, which was participated by the senior and emerging contemporary artists of Karbi Anglong. On this auspicious occasion senior contemporary artist also the founder General Secretary of KAFACA,who completed his graduation (1997)in Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Visva=Bharati University,Santiniketan and also the Elizabeth Green Shield Foundation Award winner in painting,1997,from Canada was felicitated with a traditional Karbi Scarf and a citation. In his speech Mr.Terang cited the importance of art knowledge and give reference to the Karbi totem,”Jambili Athon” ,which is also the best examples of a piece of artworks. He also emphasized the need for International Artist Day celebration and to spread the traditional art globally. On this auspicious occasion Mr.Leonard Bey, who is also an international award winner(2008) in Fine Art from Spain and also the Master of Fine Art (MFA) from Visva-Bharati University,Santiniketan,India, brief out the idea of International Artist day and its importance. He sited out that artist are no longer confined to only conventional art but have spread to freedom of more conceptual and modern. He also read out the message and best wishes send to KAFACA and the people of Karbi Anglong by founder artist Chris MacClure. The message was also beautifully translated in its local Karbi language by Mr.Deben Timung , and was dispersed to the distinguished gathering. A prize was distributed to the award winners of the poster painting competition.A certificate and a gift was awarded to the winners .In his speech Mr.Raju Engti, one of the judge and also the senior member of KAFACA ,thanked Mr.Leonard Bey for introducing the international Artist Day celebration to the people of Karbi Anglong,who were not known until then the present day celebration.The celebration finally ended with a words of thanks by Mr.Bapuram Timung member of KAFACA to all the distinguished gathering.

A group photograph were taken, published leaflet and distributed to the people of Karbi Anglong as an awareness and encouragement, banner were place in different location of Diphu town,and the local news papers published about the celebration. I am hopeful that the celebration would truly encourage the society and would make an aware world wide that a small district like Karbi Anglong ,India ,where art is still to be recognized also celebrated the International Artist Day of 2009.I on behalf of the KAFACA extend a loving words of thanks to founder artist Chris MacClure, for his guidance, suggestions, message and encouragement, which have turned into a celebration of a successful one. The people of Karbi Anglong believe that founder artist Chris MacClure and other loving artists of world wide would one day come to Karbi Anglong to celebrate the International Artist Day. KAFACA would also try its best to celebrate the international Artist Day with the participation to other loving countries of world wide in the future to come. The KAFACA also would celebrate with more participation of the artists and art lovers of the country and abroad in the coming next 2010 International Artist Day celebration. I conclude with best wishes to founder artist Chris MacClure and to the artists of the world.

With sincere and loving regards

Leonard Bey

Artist and Foreign Secretary for International Relation

Karbi Anglong Fine Artist and Craftsmen Association(KAFACA)

Diphu,Karbi Anglong,Assam,India

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INTERNATIONAL ARTIST DAY IN SAN MIGUEL SPAIN

San Miguel square had all the buzz of Montmartre on Sunday when 30 artists of many nationalities held a fiesta to celebrate International Artist Day - Picasso's birthday.

The palette of artists presented a diverse and colourful exhibition of works whilst children got involved painting a long graffiti wall and older people tried their hand at life drawing or watched as artists painted 'plein air'.

Organised by the Archangel Vecinos Association in San Miguel & Martin Robinson in Rojales, artists from Spain, Holland, Germany, UK & Ireland were among those assembled to display their works to an appreciative audience.

Whilst being a bit early to call it an absolute success, tributes have already been pouring in from people asking for the event to be repeated or made regular, and the artists will be meeting to discuss feedback to see whether this is possible.

As Martin said after the event, "Arte es el punte entre culturas. Aunque las palabras de nuestros idiomas nos puedan separar, somos unidos por el idioma vision."

With many tourists flocking to Montmartre in Paris, is it too much to hope that perhaps San Miguel could become a mecca for art tourism in this part of Spain?

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Invitation for Artists to participate in International Artist Day in Parrsboro Nova Scotia CANADA

Sunday October 25th is Picasso’s birthday, and fittingly, that date is also International Artist Day, a worldwide day of recognition honoring the role of artists in contributing to life with ideas beauty and truth. Arts related events, exhibitions, performances, sales and get-togethers will be held around the globe to mark this day.

In celebration of International Artist Day, a group of Parrsboro area artists spearheaded by Krista Wells is inviting others to join them in a public exposition and meet the artist day at the historic King Street bandhall, a 126 year old former Presbyterian church. That church, in itself a work of art, is being restored and re-purposed as a community art, music, and wellness center.

Participation is free. Six artists and craftspeople are presently committed and the invitation is out for more to take part in the Parrsboro event.

With the Ship’s Company Theatre, the Fundy Geological Museum, summer jazz and theatre workshops acting as focal points, the town of Parrsboro and the nearby villages along the Bay of Fundy, says Wells, is already something of a regional artistic nexus. And when artists get together, often new and interesting projects are born from that contact and interchange of ideas. Hence the invitation is two-part - for artists to take part in the exposition and for non artists to come and meet artists live and direct, and so to learn about artists lives and the challenges they face in creating.

In addition to showing artists’ works, a highlight of the day will be a presentation of an animated film by independent filmaker Nina Paley.

The International Artists Day Show opens at 11 am at the bandhall on King Street in Parrsbo

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October 21st – October 23rd 2007
Sitges celebrates International Artist Day on October 25rd, in memory of the day Santiago Rusiñol came to town for the first time on October 23rd 1891.  Sitges artists pay homage to Rusiñol through diverse plastic and literary events: Outdoor engravings, unveiling of the new mural at the “Pont dels ocells” (bridge of birds) and readings of texts by Rusiñol at different spots in Sitges.
Venues: La Fragata, “Pont dels Ocells”, Santiago Rusiñol Library

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Alpha Bruton

Friday, October 26, 2007
Chicago Calling
While Chicago is celebrating the 12th annual celebration of Chicago's dynamic visual arts community, October 25th every year has been selected as International Artist Day.This worldwide tribute to artists honors and brings recognition to the contributions they have made to civilization. Everyone around the world can do something special on that day to enhance the visual arts: take an artist to lunch, host an exhibition, buy a piece of art, attend a gallery show, visit a studio of your favorite artist. If you would like to help promote this important day please put http://www.internationalartistday.com, link on your web site, and plan for 2008.

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Aurora College , Inuvik, NWT Canada -

The students of the Traditional Art Program of Aurora College will be hosting a ½ day event on Oct 25th, honoring local artists of this community. Their will be ten artists who will be presenting their work and will be talking with the students about their work and how they got started and how they promote their work. The students will be demonstrating the skills and techniques they've learned to-date. There will be background music provided by local musicians, snacks will be provided by the College's Cooking program. This is another great opportunity for artists to make a sale, early xmas gifts will be available. There will be painters, carvers, crafters and jewelers, young and old, women and men.

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Painting in Patan: International Artist's Day 2007

Various artists from Nepal and abroad celebrated the international day on October 25 at Kasthamandap Art Studio in Kupondole of Patan. Sri Lankan artist Deneth Piumakshi with Canadian artist Jolanda Aucott and other Italian painters contributed to the celebration along with artists from Kasthamandap Art Studio itself.

 The program started in the afternoon where the artists cheerfully played with the colors on their canvases. Freeing their minds on this special day, they took a sweet sojourn to the uncharted realms that their painting brushes led them to.

 The artists enjoyed the afternoon, painting out their delight and happiness on the canvases in the garden. Comfortably sitting on the green grass, they highlighted their joy to get to celebrate this year's International Artist Day for the first time in Nepal.

 Speaking to City Post, noted artist Erina Tamrakar, who is also the member of the studio, said, "We didn't know about International Artist Day. Just a few days ago, we came to know through the Net; so we thought why not start celebrating it in our homeland too? It's definitely a great day for artists and sculptors all over the world. So, with the help of Deneth, we're celebrating the day."

 She further added, "This time, we're celebrating in a small way because we didn't have time to make plans for it and also many artists are away. But next time, we aim to celebrate it in a grand way, hold many painting programs and connect with as many artists and sculptors in and out of Nepal so we can share our experiences and learn from them."

 Deneth, lying in the grass, was painting her signature style piece using Sri Lankan fabric whereas Pramila Bajracharya was giving final touches to her creation. Similarly, Aasha R Dangol played once more with his large slab of painting before letting it dry. Pradip K Bajracharya, on the other hand, was observing two of his completed paintings.

 In this connection, Pradip shared, "I've only played with colors to be in its moment and to feel its beauty."

 Jolanda Aucott from Canada was very excited by what was going around, and thus she beamed, "I'm very impressed with the works of Nepali artists. I'm also very happy to be part of this celebration because I'm constantly learning and sharing my work with other artists. This is the first time that I'm painting on Nepali paper which is a completely new experience for me."

 Showing us her painting, she happily said, "I've tried to bring out the happiness that I'm feeling now. It's always difficult to connect to different people, work on different materials and share ideas. But I found it easier this time. In this street image, I've embedded feelings, colors and warmth that I've got from Nepal and its people."

 So much for this year while much more can be expected for International Artist Day 2008 in Nepal.

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I, Deneth Piumakshi, Sri Lankan artist & Art Curator have been spreading the word of this day since 2006 in Nepal, Sri Lanka & Bhutan, while I travelled.

Being in India and meeting many artists and people who appreciate art, I decided to introduce this day here as well. I have been privileged to met Mrs. Manju Narain,

(The owner of Studio 55 also an artist, music composer and a singer), who was very kind to offer the studio space for the celebration. In a very short span of time few artist friend of mine and I, managed to organize this event.

Artists and art lovers from Indore, Bengal, Kashmir, Delhi, Sri Lanka, and France got together in the garden of Studio 55 sipping tea in this wonderful Sunday afternoon. We had a good discussion about the importance of celebrating such a day; bringing a sense of solidarity amongst the art lovers and artists all over the world.

The day got highlighted and appeared to be a successful, when the project curator Inder Salim (Delhi based performance artist/Painter) shared his new dream/ project with us, “Art Karavan International”. It is a journey that will bring artists and 'non-artists' together to engage in creative endeavours, as they travel across in a train, in nine destinations of India, (Shantiniketan, Kolkata, Ranchi, Patna, Lucknow, Dehradun, Shimla, Srinagar, Delhi - Ahmedabad.) dated, 12th of February to 18th of April 2010. Art Karavan International team has planned events with local artist communities at every destination and hope to enliven their train journey with impromptu sessions of performance art, poetry, music, etc.

It was such a pleasant coincidence that I happened to meet curator Salim on this day of celebration and to hear about his project, which added another bright light to the day.

As the celebration and the energy flowed, the discussion flowed from finding new roots in expressing and introducing art to the public. Also, I learnt, discovered stories about the current ongoing exhibitions in Delhi - Celebrating sexualities to Bengal to Rabindranath Tagor to Gandhi and to Kashmir to Sri Lankan war and peace and end the evening with the book of Saadat Hassan Manto. I as an individual, and an artist, was grateful to learn immensely from the fellow artists present and will cherish the day.

Everyone around the world can do something special on this day, to enhance the visual arts: take an artist to lunch, host an exhibition, buy a piece of art, attend a gallery show, visit a studio of your favorite artist. Blog each other, let your local news papers and TV be aware. Also try and have your city proclaim this wonderful day. If we don't help make this happen worldwide it will not perpetuate itself. Please get involved.

Especial thanks for Artist Siraj Saxena, Studio 55, Mrs. Manju Narain, Sarika Narain Badrinath, Inder Salim & Art Karavan International Team, Shikka Sinha, Gaetan Boisson.

Deneth Piumakshi   Artist/ Art Curator    Sri Lanka

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