Govt values artists : minister

LAHORE, Feb 8 (APP):Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood said on Saturday that the government truly valued and acknowldged the artist community’s services..

He said this during his visit to the 34th annual painting exhibition of the Artists Association of Punjab (AAP) titled “Diversity of Pakistan Painting” at the Alhamra Art Centre here.

The minister said: “Work of our artist is of international standard and I am glad to see
that the AAP is encouraging the art and artist.”

Shafqat Mehmood praised the artists for putting on display brilliant works in the exhibition.
On this occasion, AAP Chairman Mian Ijazul Hassan said art was being promoted in
accordance with modern requirements but there was a lot of work to be done in this area.

Lahore Arts Council (LAC) Executive Director Athar Ali Khan congratulated the participants
for their great artworks and said the Alhamra’s platform always encouraged artists and the
LAC would continue to play its role in providing facilities for conducting exhibitions.

The AAP exhibition has received approximately 300 artworks created by 250 artists
from Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Jamshoro, Bhakar, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot,
Kasur, Gujrat, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Swabi Faisalabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Chiniot and other parts of the country.

Artworks in mediums like painting, sculpture, installation, ceramic, miniature painting, drawings, printmaking, and video were displayed.