Dipali Bhattacharya

Only a few Institutions in world-history have contributed as decisively and diversely to a country’s culture as Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta has. Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta is not only a living identity today, as one of the pioneer institutions of India, imparting art education, it is also explicable as a fertile patch of soil, where each young entrants like the seeds of dreams are individually implanted by the creative hands of the master-mentors, artists and craftsmen, and the yield is cropped in course of time by the society. The institution has a humble beginning during the Raj ruling in India and almost one hundred and forty four years back by the British educationists coming from abroad and later nurtured by the rare artist-patriots and ‘gurus’ of the soil. That had created the history very soon and earned fame for this institution by producing talents spread all over the country, taking its chapters from one peak to other. Artists and Designers produced from this college are still the frontline names of Indian Art and Design.
Art meets the need as a society demands. Art has a greatly charged raw resource in itself that it could nurture a society not only in a specific timeline, but for centuries. It can spring ‘cult’ which wraps the mind of a country. ‘Freedom’ is a keyword in Art practice, and that disseminates genetic chromosomes that a society receives for its life and revival. Unchained are the ideas, so limitless are innovations and technicalities to communicate them. One has to understand this mandate, though not very simply.

What instills in the vision of an institution is always the spirit of a leader how he sees and perceives the need of the hour. All men do not feel the same way. He becomes a concern who is having a poetic inspiration, an all-embracing approach, a far spread strength of view of his time and beyond. It takes him to a deeply buried treasure of his own world reaching wherein he found a grandeur of sight, a Vision, an enlightenment; that changes all dimensions around. Changing idiom in art and design worldwide and the Contemporary influences now spell over the canvas and has made the horizon open and wider. The Instituion holds a student oriented structure at par with others in the country. Modifications streamlined by UGC are welcomed also by this institution to catalyze the country-wide practice leading to a concurrence.

The institution not only targeted towards developing mere skills, many historic factors, shifting of location, Government’s taking over of the institution, a mode of continuity and opening of new horizons and art movements during the last century all over the world has changed the perspective of thought and action in the institution from time to time. Informations required in the prescribed proforma are given as much as possible without any pretense with a view also to the fact that many of the questions are of generalized character and perhaps, of least significance to an institution of Visual Arts where the whole gamut of studies are set altogether on a different perception and proven practices, instead of studies which are mostly based on intelligible factors. Despite we consider them with regard and, however, tried to answer them carefully.

A heritage could be kept alive by encouraging the vital quality of innovation, inherent to an institution and is represented by its young artists. Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta has been placing a constant thrust and vitality of their student-artists through a long span of one hundred and forty three years and its great historical and cultural past on its mast with an ardent and stupendous visual potential. This is a wonderful opportunity to give space and importance to this generation of artists who experience time, surprising physical and interior spaces in their imagination.

On this occasion, I extend my greetings and compliments to the Higher Education Department, Government of West Bengal, Public Works Department, Government of West Bengal, University of Calcutta and University Grants Commission for their relentless support to keep up the unique and integrated profile of Government College of Art & Craft and emerge as a prime art institution of India in all newer perspectives, with an age-old historical root revitalized by the expressive forms of our contemporary world.
We sincerely thank Dr. Pratip Choudhury for his kind and sincere support for our cause. I heartily thank all our teachers and other staff members of the institution to respond to this effort to present ourselves before NAAC. I think that Dr. Swati Bhattacharya, Reader, Smt. Dipali Bhattacharya, Reader, Shri Arup Das, Lecturer, Shri Gautam Das, Lecturer, and Shri Sumartya Dutta, one of our students, should have a special mention for coordinating this time with NAAC on behalf of our institution.