Whether it is theatre or classical Indian music, artists who have performed in Pune have won warm appreciation from the city for their talent.
And with the city transforming from a pensioners' paradise into a metro, art appreciation and investment in paintings and sculptures are getting increasingly common.
"The art market in Pune has been growing at a compounded rate of 20-30 per cent for the last two years. It will only get bigger in the years to come," said Milind Sathe, director and chief executive officer of Indiaart Gallery, which showcases works of over 700 artists.
The firm, which began as an online virtual site to promote the Indian brand of art, went on to set up a gallery and is cashing in on the growing potential.
"We are growing at 20-30 per cent rate. Art of Maharashtra, our latest project, is an exhibition promoting the work of 55 artists from the state. It received tremendous response in Pune. We will now be taking these artists from Pune and neighbouring cities with their paintings to other states and abroad in the coming year," said Sathe.
Affirming the thriving market for art in the city, Praful Chandawarkar, a restaurateur who has been an art promoter and exhibits items at his restaurant, Malaka Spice, said: "About 200-250 people come everyday, who would otherwise have not visited an art gallery, but get to view art here. I have been witnessing a growth of 40-45 per cent for the last eight years."
It is this growth that saw Chandawarkar launch his own brand, Malaka Art, recently.
"We are getting aggressive about promoting and pushing art consumption with Malaka Art. We will exhibit more here, have events, an in-house artist and also take Malaka Art exhibits along with our food brand, Malaka Spice to other states across the country."
So while paintings of Tyeb Mehta, MF Hussain, Satish Gujral and others that demand upward of a few lakhs are in vogue with the High Society, "what sells is art in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 200,000," says Geetanjali Kirloskar, whose Pune Exhibition last year, featuring over 60 pieces of art, saw 70 per cent of the stock wiped out within the first hour itself.
With the market thriving, the number of art galleries have also increased from the two to over 20 with many more in the pipeline.
She says, "If the city can appreciate theatre and classical music, I was sure that it would also appreciate contemporary art. The fabulous response for exhibition just proves that."
Rahul Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Auto Ltd, who commissioned M F Hussain do a painting that would adorn the wall outside his office. His interest in art arose from the fact that Hussain is a friend.
With the market thriving, the number of art galleries have also increased from the two to over 20 with many more in the pipeline.
There is a lot of new talent that is now coming to the fore, says Chandawarkar. "Besides, the city is also generating a lot of new talent; on an average I interview at least seven upcoming artists every week." And the business too is going great guns, "We are booked till November 2006," he says with a smile.
