Government College of Art & Craft

The Government College of Art & Craft (GCAC) in Kolkata, one of India's oldest art institutions, was founded on 16 August 1854 at Garanhata, Chitpur, as a private art school called the School of Industrial Art. It moved to Colootola in 1854, was taken over by the government in 1864 and renamed the Government School of Art, with Henry Hover Locke as principal. The school later relocated to Bowbazar Street and, in 1892, to its present site near the Indian Museum. In 1951 it was renamed the Government College of Art & Craft. Notable principals include Ernest Binfield Havel (1896–1905), who fostered Indian artistic traditions leading to the Bengal School of Art, Percy Brown, Mukul Chandra Dey, and Chintamoni Kar. Abanindranath Tagore served as vice-principal, furthering the Bengal School movement. The college offers departments in Painting, Indian Painting, Modelling & Sculpture, Graphic Design/Applied Art, Textile Design, Ceramic Art & Pottery, Design in Wood and Leather, and Printmaking. Its alumni include renowned artists such as Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Ganesh Pyne, Jogen Chowdhury, and Paresh Maity, reflecting its historic influence on Indian art education.