The first thing one notices about Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts, Madhapur, Hyderabad is that it’s completely different from traditional art schools. With lovely paintings and murals on each wall, the institution brings forth a very understated, yet distinct sense of creativity and talent.
Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine arts was started in 1991 by S Vani Devi, daughter of late PV Narasimha Rao, former Indian Prime Minister. The institution’s mantra is to inspire creativity. “With proper training, anyone can study Engineering, Medicine and Architecture, but imagination is a creative gift of God,” says Devi.
“If you wish to learn something, with proper guidance, teaching and syllabus, you can learn anything in the world. Visual arts are a strong and powerful medium, and it is something we encounter in almost everything in our daily lives right from the branding of one’s shirt to an advertisement on television,” explains Devi.
An artist herself, Devi also runs a Pharmacy and Finance college under the same group but admits that the Fine Arts institution is closest to her heart. “There is a tremendous need for more awareness on Fine Arts and parents must realise that it’s not just Engineering and Medicine, Arts can also be a very rewarding prospect. Also, art and colours can be very soothing to an agitated mind. It makes one relax,” she adds.
Ajitha Surabhi, Devi’s daughter and director of Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts, feels that this is the right time for aspiring young students to pursue a career in Arts. “There is visual art everywhere, to an extent that there are various categories from graphic designers, to web designers. The demand for arts is growing by the day and I think there will be a tremendous boom in students pursuing arts. They just don’t know it yet,” Ajitha says, excitedly.
Courses offered
There are three undergraduate courses offered in the institution: Painting, Applied Arts/Visual Arts and Photo, video and TV Technology.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting has 50 seats and is taught over a duration of five years, while a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Arts/Visual Arts has 60 seats and is also a five-year course. The minimum qualification required for admission is SSC or its equivalent, for both these courses. On the other hand, the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photo, Video and TV Technology is for a duration of three years and has 50 seats. The minimum qualification required for this course is Class XII or its equivalent.
Students admitted to the Bachelor of Fine Arts course are required to study English, History of Arts and Aesthetics as compulsory theory subjects along with practical subjects. English is the medium of instruction for all the three courses offered by college.
Admissions
The college has a very rigorous admission structure, designed to select only skilled students. Candidates are required to qualify in an aptitude test conducted separately for the three courses. The aptitude test in each course for Painting and Applied Art consists of three subjects — Object drawing, in which candidates are asked to draw objects displayed, to test their sketching ability; Colour design, in which candidates are asked to colour the given drawing, to judge their colour sensitivity; multiple choice and fill in the blanks questions, to test the knowledge in the concerned subject.
Faculty
The faculty comprises a team of talented teachers who take keen interest in the overall development of the students. A unique consulting cell takes care of the interaction of the institution with the industry, thereby providing ample opportunities for the students to work on diverse projects and seek attractive placements.
Infrastructure
Apart from several classrooms and art studios, the college has a well-equipped library. It also subscribes to course-related journals. The college seeks institutional membership to other important libraries equipped with books in related areas. It is also making an effort for inter-library borrowing benefits. Workshops organised by professional bodies, exhibitions, camps, guest lectures, demonstrations, lectures and participation in state and national level competitions are a regular affair.
Study tour
The annual study tour is an important part of the curriculum and is conducted in places of cultural interest, to enable students to get familiar with the rich cultural heritage of the country. The students are encouraged to sketch the sights they see. Besides, there are compulsory study tours in photography and research for the specialised courses.
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