The 31st Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s annual open-air art fair will be held on February 18 in Colombo. Celebrating over three decades of fostering the livelihoods of Sri Lankan artists, Kala Pola takes inspiration from the world-famous outdoor art fairs in Montmartre, Paris, and the Turl Street Art Festival in Oxford and has evolved as an eagerly awaited event of the art and culture calendar of Sri Lanka.
The George Keyt Foundation (GKF) conceptualised and launched Kala Pola in 1993, and since 1994 it has enjoyed the sustained patronage of the John Keells Group, as part of its corporate social responsibility. The Chairperson GKF, Malaka Talwatte said, “Our core objective has always been to catalyse ‘Opportunity for Art’, particularly for local artists, and Kala Pola is a flagship endeavour in this respect and now a major tourist attraction having established itself as one of Colombo’s iconic events.”
This uncurated visual art fair aims to consistently elevate the visitor experience, expanding its reach to include more artists and attract a broader audience of both local and international art enthusiasts, consequently generating increased participation and income for the artists.
