Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has appointed renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik as the President of Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi on 19 September 2018.
Earlier, noted architect and sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra was the President of Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi. The post had remained vacant after Mohapatra resigned following his nomination to Rajya Sabha.
Lalit Kala Akademi is a (National Academy of Arts) is an autonomous body set up by the Government of India for the promotion of Fine Arts. The Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre Bhubaneswar was inaugurated in 1988.
The major function of the Akademi is to foster and develop activity in the sphere of visual and plastic art to promote cultural unity in the State. It also promotes study and research in the field of painting, sculpture, architecture, and applied arts.