Residents of Narail and devotees of internationally acclaimed painter S M Sultan have long wished to create an institute that will give continued life to the master-artist’s spirit and ideals. At their request, the Bengal Foundation has reached out to assist in establishing the S M Sultan Bengal Fine Art College on a 1.5 acre estate on the lush, beautiful banks of the Narail’s river Chitra.
Once built, the planned complex will be able to accommodate roughly 400 students. Until construction is complete, the work of sharing master-artist S M Sultan’s ideals and teachings will be continued from the offices of S M Sultan Shishu Swarga.
Registered under the National University, College Code: 0412, the S M Sultan Bengal Fine Art College already has thirteen students enrolled in its five-year BFA course. A further 10 students are enrolled in the two-year BFA (Pre-Degree) course at the S M Sultan Fine Art College, Jessore. Enrollment for the coming academic year is still open.
Under the guidance of the College Principal, dedicated instructors train students in the disciplines of: Graphic Design, Drawing and Painting, Art History, Print-making, of Pottery, Sculpture and Crafts. In addition, students are given a thorough grounding in Bengali Language, English Language, Social Studies and History of Civilization.
With the support of the artistic community, the Bengal Foundation hopes to develop the into a nerve-centre of art in Bangladesh, while carrying forward the spirit of liberal humanism that S M Sultan valued so greatly.