Gurusaday Museum in Joka holds an incredible collection of folk art from undivided Bengal, most of which were collected by Gurusaday Dutt, a Bengali civil servant, who toured these districts extensively between 1929 and '40. The museum was dependent on funding from the Ministry of Textiles, which was ended in late 2017.
Since then the museum has struggled to operate and the staff have gone without pay. Recognising the amazing collection and the dedication it has inspired, a few like-minded individuals have come forward to offer support to the museum. Their goals are two-fold: to make people aware of the museum through social media and on-ground campaigns; and to raise enough funds so that the museum is able to sustain itself and perhaps even improve upon its existing infrastructure.
They are hosting an event on April 18 at the Indian Museum to launch their fundraiser, which is being supported by Ketto. There will be a brief introduction to the museum and its crisis by the museum administration, following which, they will present a campaign plan - how they hope to raise the funds and intend to utilise it. This will be followed by a panel discussion, titled "The Museum & I: Public Engagement in the Preservation of Cultural Heritage" where GM Kapur (convenor, INTACH, West Bengal) will be in conversation with artist Jogen Chowdhury, art historian Prof. Tapati Guha-Thakurta, and Indian Museum director, Rajesh Purohit. The evening will close with a presentation-performance by Moushumi Bhowmik, titled "Living an Archive."