KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan initiated the three-day Arts Alumni Festival 2026 in Karachi with an exuberant inaugural function, heralding the rebirth of Karachi’s cultural and artistic milieu. Humorous writer and intellectual Anwar Maqsood was present with Arts Council President Ahmed Shah for the official inauguration of the festival through the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Alumni Art Exhibition.
The vice president of Arts Council, Munawar Saeed; the secretary of Arts Council, Ejaz Farooqi; and the president of Karachi Press Club, Fazil Jamili; were all present on the occasion, as were many other respected personalities from the field of fine arts, along with the alumnus and students in large numbers.
31 Artworks That Amazed People to Their Core
Ahmed Pervez Art Gallery acted as the highlight of the Arts Alumni Festival 2026 Karachi, presenting 31 pieces of artwork produced by 19 students. Art lovers came to this gallery and spent much time admiring each art piece. Even the chief guest of the ceremony got amazed at the artwork presented there.
Speaking on the occasion of the convocation, Anwar Maqsood spoke of the event as a time filled with happiness. One amazing comparison between the past and the present is that which Maqsood made on the basis of his first art show in 1958, just one year after Sadequain, the famous artist from Pakistan, held his first art show in 1957. At that time, the cost of the artworks produced by Maqsood was Rs100 apiece while the paintings by Sadequain commanded a price of Rs800 per piece. Considering the prices attached to the artworks produced by the students at the Arts Alumni Festival 2026, Maqsood was surprised indeed. Institutional Progress Praised by Ahmed Shah
ALSO READ: How Pakistan’s Showbiz Industry Responded to Marka-e-Haq
Ahmed Shah, president of Arts Council, made sure to use his platform to talk about the progress that had been made at the institution, in terms of both academics and art. He was proud of the department heads who had started from scratch.It is indeed very intriguing to note that the Music Academy has come a long way from being an individual to a nationwide music institution, and its name is Mahmood Ali Khan. The future indeed seems promising for this growing institute.
Culture, Entertainment, and Discussion for Three Days
The Arts Alumni Festival of 2026 would be held at the Arts Council of Pakistan until May 10. Other than the art gallery, other events in the artConsequently, this is a fascinating cultural event for the people of Karachi.
Although it is a fact that Karachi is mostly talked about when there is news of politics and economics, it must be noted that the Arts Alumni Festival 2026 Karachi gives us an opportunity to witness that the artistic side of Pakistan has not been forgotten.
