Government College of Fine Arts

The Government College of Fine Arts, initially known as the Madras School of Art, is located in Chennai and is recognized as the oldest art institution in India. It was established in 1850 by surgeon Alexander Hunter as a private art school. In 1852, after being taken over by the government, it was renamed the Government School of Industrial Arts and relocated to its present four-acre campus on Poonamallee High Road. It was later renamed the Government School of Arts and Crafts and the Government College of Arts and Crafts before assuming its present name. The institution was originally set up to produce furniture, metalwork, and curios for the royal palaces in London. Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury became its first Indian principal in 1929, serving until 1957, followed by K.C.S. Paniker, who later founded the Cholamandal Artists' Village in 1966. The college offers Bachelor and Master degrees, in association with the Faculty of Engineering, University of Chennai, in subjects such as Painting, Sculpture, Visual Communication, Textile Design, Ceramics, and Print Making. Many notable artists and filmmakers have studied there.