About Kala Pola
Conceptualised by The George Keyt Foundation and launched in 1993 with only 35 artists, Kala Pola has enjoyed the unbroken patronage of Sri Lanka’s premier conglomerate the John Keells Group since 1994. It has evolved as a popular annual event in the Sri Lankan Art Calendar, hosting approximately 300 painters and sculptors from various parts of the country and over 20,000 visitors both local and foreign each year.
The George Keyt Foundation
The George Keyt Foundation formed by a group of his friends in 1988 is mandated to provide opportunities for the development of Art and Artists, promoting Art and assisting Sri Lanka. Since its inception the George Keyt Foundation has been a major promoter of the Arts in Sri Lanka for 30+ years.
John Keells Group
John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) is the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. With a heritage of over 150 years, through innovation and strategic partnerships, the John Keells Group of companies have become leaders in many key industry verticals. JKH is a full member of the World Economic Forum and is a member of the Global Compact of the United Nations-sponsored International Corporate Citizenship Initiative. The company has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s Most Respected Entity for the 19 th year due to its commitment to community outreach, environmental sustainability, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). It has also been ranked by Transparency International Sri Lanka as joint-first for Most Transparent Entity in Sri Lanka
John Keells Foundation
John Keells Foundation (JKF) is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) entity of the John Keells Group. One of the first dedicated CSR entities in Sri Lanka, JKF has, since its establishment in 2005, been strategizing and implementing strategic CSR initiatives of the Group with the vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’. Our focus areas have been classified as Education, Community & Livelihoods, Social Health & Cohesion, and Biodiversity while our CSR projects are aligned to national priorities, Sustainable Development Goals and United Nations Global Compact.
Over the years, JKF has taken on a wide array of arts and culture projects as part of its roadmap to nurture the livelihoods of artists and preserve cultural heritage towards safeguarding and promoting Sri Lankan arts and culture.
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Rooted in a deep appreciation for art and culture, our story is one of brilliance, passion and precision.
Testimonials
Hats off to the organisers of ‘Kala Pola’ for organising this event very methodically without any chaos! This is the only platform in Sri Lanka which gives the equal opportunity to all the artists without any discrimination. This was my first time at ‘Kala Pola’ as an artist and I am glad that it ended up successfully.
Thank you very much for this valuable opportunity. It was a great and wonderful experience for me.
Much appreciated your effort and contribution (@kalapolasl and @johnkeellsfoundation). This is a one of great platform for local artists.