Kolkata Introduces Country’s First Art Gallery on Tram

Art is an integral part of Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose and many other iconic artists have represented Bengal in world platform with their creations. Now, celebrating this artistic spirit of the City of Joy, WBTC is soon launching an art gallery on wheels.

Conceived by the West Bengal Transport Corporation, the Kolkata Tram Art Gallery would be a unique initiative that too dedicated to art. The art tram has been readied by the in house team at Nonapukur workshop of WBTC and beautiful handmade art adorns the tramcar. The Tram Art Gallery has been modified in such a way that the interiors are modelled so that easels and paintings can be easily displayed.

Days when the tram is booked by artists, people may can visit and watch their paintings. On non booking days, WBTC would be displaying a collection of old archival tram photos and works of trams so that the tram runs daily and people can enjoy the same.

The idea of the Tram Art Gallery is to make art exhibitions accessible, especially to the art students, who would also get huge concessions. The tram art gallery would also reach all parts of the city, rather than people visiting a gallery in one corner of the city“, said MD WBTC Rajanvir Singh Kapur.

The tram would be available to the artists at a daily rate of Rs 3600, so that the budding artists may book it and showcase their works. The charges for two days would be Rs 6000 and for three days, Rs 8000 and beyond 3 days, it would be Rs 8000 plus Rs 1500 for any further days added.

There are concessions of upto 50 percent, to cases where the artists are students of any school or college on production of ID and also from charitable organizations doing the exhibition for any social cause. This is to promote youth attraction to art and trams.  

The tram would travel the entire city but would be parked at Esplanade, Shyambazar and Gariahat for few hours daily or on alternate days, as per the artists’s desire for public to see in Central, North or South Kolkata. A nominal entry fee of Rs 6 would be charged from the art enthusiasts who wish to see the tram art gallery. The tram art gallery would start running in the city of joy from the first week of December.