BIRLA ACADEMY OF ART AND CULTURE

Birla Academy of Art and Culture (BAAC) is the Promoting body of the Institute. BAAC is a public charitable Trust and was started in 1962 by Dr. (Smt) Sarala Birla and Sh. B K Birla, chairman of B K Birla Group of industries.

The Birla Academy of Art and Culture was established with the principal object of helping the growth of art and culture with emphasis on visual and performing arts and providing value based education. During the last 40 years, the Academy has already established itself as a centre of cultural, artistic and educational activities.
The rise of awareness and sense of glory about the rich indigenous cultural heritage of the country, forgotten and neglected for long, can probably be held as a watershed of our dark days of Colonial subjugation. This awakening led to the search and enquiry about the remains of traditional culture and the protection, preservation and display of art treasures in a proper and scientific manner, bringing into existence Museums and Art Centres at different places of the country.

During the 50's, under the inspiration of renowned connoisseurs and patrons of art and education, Sri N.C. Mehta and Sri R.K. Kejriwal, Sri & Smt. B.K. Birla, foremost industrialist of our country, had started collecting rare and valuable treasures of art as a token of love and admiration for splendid art objects. With the increase of collection both in quantity and quality, an idea was broached for founding an Academy as a true centre of visual appreciation and aesthetic enjoyment. A public Charitable Trust was created in 1962 with a view to collecting, preserving and exhibiting art objects for the public.
For accommodating the proposed academy, the present eleven-storied building in Kolkata was completed in 1966 and it was formally inaugurated under the name " Birla Academy of Art and Culture" by Dr. Karan Singh in 1967.