#SupportLocalArt Talk Series is an initiative dedicated to providing a holistic platform for the Sri Lankan art community to share their stories, concerns, and solutions to the chronic underfunding of the local art scene. We sit down with practitioners of the art community across the board - meeting separately with the patrons, the institutions, and the artists themselves to discuss how we can come out of this Covid-induced lull together as a community, placing uplifting the art community in Sri Lanka as our shared goal. We get into the different shades of patronage, from the individual to the organization, as well as getting a chance to listen to the artists and institutions discuss the ways in which we can best support them. Join us as we debunk misconceptions about funding in the art community, discuss the leap from simply collecting to becoming a patron of the arts, and mull over the fragmentation of the arts scene in Sri Lanka.
The first conversation as part of the #SupportLocalArt Talk Series includes four of Sri Lanka's most prominent patrons discussing the varied forms of art patronage alongside their unique experiences and projects; from the corporate to the individual patron. The conversation will take place via Zoom and Facebook Live on Monday 19 July at 6pm Sri Lankan Standard Time. On the panel are patrons Anojie Amerasinghe, Ajit Gunewardene, Nadija Tambiah and Udayshanth Fernando.