RIFKA ZIYARD
COLOMBO: The World Art Day is celebrated on April 15th, the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci is a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and an engineer. He is among the greatest painters in the history of art and was born in 1452 in Italy. He died on 2nd May 1519.
The World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine arts which was declared by the International Association of Art in order to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide.
The International Association of Art (IAA) is an international, non-governmental association of fine art and one of the NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO.
It was at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2019 that it was announced that ‘World Art Day’ would be proclaimed as one of the International Days marked by UNESCO following IAA’s proposal. The president of IAA Bedri Baykam held a press conference in Istanbul and announced the decision of the UNESCO Executive Board in 2019. Further to this announcement, from 2020 on, April 15, the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci was celebrated globally, as ‘World Art Day’.
Each year, on 15 April, World Art Day celebrations help reinforce the links between artistic creations and society, encourage greater awareness of the diversity of artistic expressions and highlight the contribution of artists to sustainable development. It is also an occasion to shine a light on arts education in schools, as culture can pave the way for inclusive and equitable education.
On the occasion of World Art Day on 15th April 2021, Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO shares her message, “Bringing people together, inspiring, soothing and sharing: these are the powers of art, the importance of which has been made emphatically obvious during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. With hundreds of thousands of people directly affected by the virus and billions more either in lockdown or battling the pandemic on the front lines, this World Art Day is a timely reminder that art has the power to unite and connect in times of crisis.”
UNESCO encourages everyone to join in through various activities such as debates, conferences, workshops, cultural events and presentations or exhibitions since here is much to learn, share and celebrate on World Art Day. Art nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe and plays an important role in sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity and dialogue. These are qualities that art has always had, and will always have if we continue to support environments where artists and artistic freedom are promoted and protected. In this way, furthering the development of art also furthers the means to achieve a free and peaceful world.
