Bombay Art Society

Our place is out on the Colaba Pune Nashik Highway 161. It’s a bit of a drive for some people, but it’s where we ended up putting down roots. The building is quite recognizable if you’re driving past. Inside, it’s usually a bit quieter than the road outside, which is a relief. We spend a lot of time moving frames around and cleaning the glass on the displays. Art societies can sometimes feel a bit stiff, but we try to keep it relaxed here. There are always canvases leaning against the walls in the back rooms. We have people coming in from all over, some just to look and others who actually know what they’re looking for. The light in the gallery changes throughout the day, which makes the paintings look different every time you walk through. Sometimes we have a lot of students hanging around, and other times it’s just the staff drinking tea and waiting for someone to walk through the front door. We don’t do a lot of shouting about what we have on the walls. It’s just a space for people to show their work and for others to see it. Maintenance takes up a lot of our time because the highway dust gets everywhere if we aren't careful. We just keep the doors open and let the art speak for itself without making it too complicated for everyone who visits.