The Everhart Museum is pleased to present Light on Culture: Artistic Traditions of India on Saturday, April 9 with free admission all day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and free programs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The day will feature demonstrations and hands-on experiences in traditional Indian painting, as well as self-guided virtual tours of the Museum’s galleries. Pre-registration is required for painting.

The Everhart’s Rostered Folk & Traditional Artist Mona Pande, a self-taught Indian painter specializing in the traditional Indian arts of Madhubani, Rajasthani, Pichwai, Rangoli, and Warli will invite guests to participate in creating a collaborative painting on a shared canvas. All necessary supplies will be included for the collaborative painting. Those who wish to participate are urged to dress appropriately. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This program is suitable for grades 5 and older

Schedule of Events

1:00 p.m.: Collaborative painting with Mona Pande

2:30 p.m.: Collaborative painting with Mona Pande

Tours will be approximately 30 minutes and held after each program. Visitors can explore the Museum’s current exhibits and take away something meaningful and memorable about the exhibitions.

Madhubani Art
From the Mithila region of India. Paintings are made with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and match sticks using natural dyes. It is characterized by eye-catching geometric patterns and is made for particular occasions, such as births, marriages, and festivals. This form is 2,500 years old.

Warli Art
This form is made on cave and clay walls with basic shapes. The circle represents the sun/moon. The triangles are mountains and trees. Humans are two triangles. Many show the tarpa dance, the tarpa being a trumpet-like instrument which is played in turns. People entwine their hands and move in a circle around the tarpet player.

Pichwai Art
From the Rajasthan area of India, this form is generally made on cloth and hung in temples and palaces. These paintings were made as a group effort of multiple skillful artists. Main subjects are often Krishna, cows, and/or a lotus.

Kerala Mural Paintings
From the Kerala region of India, this form is from the 7th and 8th century AD. This art form is known for its bright colors and bold strokes. Yellow ochre, blue, green, white, black, and pure colors are used.

Rajasthani Art
Found in palaces and forts in Rajasthan, this form evolved in the 18th century. Paintings were usually of the royal family – most commonly hunting, horseback riding, or at weddings. Faces had long pointed noses and protruding eyes. The colors were bright and extracted from plants, stones, and even gold and silver.

Kalighat Painting
From West Bengal, this style has flowing brush strokes, bold eyes, and mainly primary colors. One main artist would draw the outlines, and other artists would color them in. With mass collaboration, around 200 to 300 paintings could be produced per hour. This was a cheap way of producing art a few hundred years back. Most of the paintings were sold in Kali temples or in Calcutta bazaars as souvenirs.

For more information, contact folkart@everhart-museum.org.