Inauguration of the 'Prathibimba' - Group art show at the Renaissance Art Gallery Bangalore on 9th May 2009

The five faces of the inaugural lamp was lit by the

- Guest of Honour: Maj Gen (Dr) Anju Manchanda, VSM C.A.O Vydehi Institute or Medical Sciences and Research Center. Lake Warden - Vibhuthipura Lake,

-M/s Shiela Devraj - Director APSA,

-an APSA school child,

-my fellow artist Mrs Sujata Tibrewala,

-and myself - Usha Shantharam! :) respectively.

M/s Shiela Devraj can be seen lighting the lamp, and Maj Gen Anju Manchanda is seen openiing her gift; which is a painting by Sujata Tibrewala.

Guests at the art show

I wish to thank Sujata Tibrewala my fellow artist who had displayed her artworks at the show, and had worked tirelessely to make the 'Prathibimba' art show a reality. Thanks to her that I came to know of this wonderful organisation called the APSA - Association for Promoting Social Action which works for the upliftment of the urban poor.

An art workshop that she had conducted for the APSA children resulted in displaying the children's artworks along with ours, hence proving that ' Age no bar where fine-art is concerned'.

Prize distribution

I was requested to distribute the prizes to the children who had taken part in the art workshop conducted by my friend and fellow aritst Sujata Tibrewala. Sujata (beside me) and M/s Shiela Devraj - Director APSA.

The APSA - ( association for promoting social action) Dream school children come from a deprived background like street children, rag pickers, newspaper boys, household servants, child labourors and generally children in distress. APSA gives them the education and opportunities that any normal child would have had at their age. The paintings were very expressive of their feelings.

I consider it an honour to display my paintings along with the paintings of these young children - especially because they come from special backgrounds.