A Civilisational And Cultural Incubator

Cultural inheritances in Tamil Nadu are nurtured and cultivated by creating institutions for learning and practice of different forms of arts and crafts.

- Krishnapriya C P and Vignesh Sundaresan

Much has been written about Chennai being the home to an early medical college and an engineering college. But much less has been documented about how the state has been creating training schools for different art forms since 1850. The Government College of Fine Arts, the film institute to train people in direction, cinematography, sound engineering, acting and editing, an exclusive university for the performing arts, multiple schools for music across the state, and the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture among other institutions are an indication of the state's engagement in the world of culture.

The School of Arts, Madras was founded in 1850 by Dr Alexander Hunter, a surgeon by profession but in his heart a passionate artist. He was born in 1816 in Chittagong and desired to move to the Madras Presidency. Here he became a Chief Surgeon. As a young man he wanted to become a painter but his parents disapproved of his choice and wanted him to pursue medicine. He was an evangelist and hardworking surgeon but developed his 'self-taught' skills in painting and drawing. He believed that art and design should be an integral part of the growing urban centre of Madras. He seeded the idea of an art school-to build an institution that nurtured creative possibilities in fine art, design, printmaking and photography.