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TILLANY FINE ARTS PROJECT INAUGURATED IN A RURAL SETTING

Bangalore, December 30, 2000: The Tillany Fine Arts Museum & Gallery, a project of The George Foundation, was formally inaugurated today at Baliganapalli in Hosur Taluk, 50 kms from Bangalore. To mark the occasion, Southern Perspectives, an exhibition of art and sculpture from South India was opened to the public.

The Honourable Union Minister of Tourism & Culture, Shri Ananth Kumar, and the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri S M Krishna, were present on the occasion along with several guests of honour. Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji, head of the Adi Chunchangiri Maha Samasthana, presided over the ceremony.

Tillany has been conceived as a project to encourage talented artists and artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds to create traditional and new forms of artwork, and to facilitate their sales to a larger market.
Mr & Mrs Mathew and Aleyamma George, parents of the founder
Dr.Abraham George, are the two major benefactors of this project. "The Tillany project intends to insert an element of continuity and modernity into the traditional processes of art, and facilitate their interaction with contemporary concerns and sensibilities", says Dr. George.

Tillany will assist artists and artisans who possess exceptional talent and ability but lack the means for furthering their creative expression. The Foundation will provide support in the form of materials and tools and by organizing workshops and creative training programmes. These and other facilities will be provided in the upcoming artist's colony adjoining the museum, and in their own homes and workplaces. Outstanding works of art chosen by a committee will be displayed at Tillany and subsequently put up for auction or sale. A major portion of the proceeds from the sale will be given to the artists who have created the work, and the balance will be used to encourage others. Tillany hopes to attract other museums and galleries around the world to participate in its novel approach.

The Tillany Fine Arts Museum & Gallery built in a rural setting is itself an architectural landmark. The fully air-conditioned complex provides for a permanent gallery for paintings, sculptures and folk art on two floors. The ground floor has gallery space for art and craft exhibitions.

The George Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering traditionally disadvantaged sections of society. The Foundation acts as a social catalyst in key areas of education, health, environment and culture. Shanti Bhavan, a world-class school for children from low-income households, has been in operation since 1997. In the same vicinity, a rural hospital is being set up with modern healthcare facilities, utilizing a diagnostic and record keeping software (EDPS2000 -- Early Detection and Prevention System). In its efforts to develop a model rural community with integrated sustainable development, the foundation has also embarked on a major farming project to empower women.

For further information, contact:

Mr. Jude Devdas 
Chief Operating Officer 
The George Foundation 
# 316, 5th 'A' Cross HRBR Extn.
3rd Block, Kalyananagar Post
Bangalore 560 043
Tel: 080-25440164/25444170
Fax: 080-25440210
E-mail: georgef@vsnl.com