Organised by the Phuket Arts Association, the Phuket International Contemporary Art Festival opened yesterday (Mar 27) at the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Talat Yai and runs through until Saturday (Mar 30).
There are a total of 78 artists showcasing their works, 43 of whom herald from Phuket, 17 from other southern provinces, while 18 are from overseas. Some of the paitnings on show are worth in excess of B100,000, organisers confirmed.
The festival was declared officially open by Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) in a ceremony held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel at 6pm yesterday.
Mr Rewat welcomed all guests and artists before an auction was held for 11 paintings from artists from Phuket and Songkhla which raised a total of B490,998.
A portion of this amount, as well proceeds from other works sold during the festival, will be donated to the Phuket Art Association and used for various future projects, including organising the Thailand Biennale next year.
Anchalee Vanich Thepbut, president of the Phuket Arts Association, thanked all the artists and the Southern International Artists Association for their support and cooperation in helping organise the event which she stated can contribute to helping Phuket become recognised as destination for creative arts and culture.