Academy of Fine Arts Gallery

The Academy of Fine Arts is on Cathedral Road beside the Maidan in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and is one of the city's oldest art institutions. It was founded in 1933 through the efforts of a group of art lovers and artists, and its building, designed in a modern style with a central hall, was completed afterwards and opened to the public as a gallery and cultural centre. The institution was built to give Kolkata artists a permanent space to show their work and has hosted generations of Bengali painters and sculptors. The permanent collection includes paintings by Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore and other major figures of the Bengal School and modern Indian art, as well as sculpture, graphic prints, and Japanese and Chinese art objects. Among the notable pieces are works associated with the Bengal School and folk-inspired paintings by Jamini Roy. The galleries rotate temporary exhibitions of painting, photography and sculpture throughout the year, and the building also houses an auditorium, a library and a small museum. The curatorial approach combines a permanent collection display with exhibition programming by contemporary artists. The building has been maintained and refurbished over time, with repairs to the galleries and facade, though some areas show their age. The Academy is a short walk from the Victoria Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral and the Rabindra Sadan, and it is a regular stop for art enthusiasts in the evening, as it keeps afternoon and evening hours. The annual art exhibitions held here are an important part of Kolkata's cultural calendar, especially in winter.