Zainul Abedin Museum
Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala is an art museum in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Established in 1975, it contains the collections of the artist Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. The art gallery was established in Mymensingh, as this is where the artist spent his early days. Abedin, a pioneer of the country's modern art movement, created works of art on subject matters such as the Bengal famine of 1943 and the peoples' independence. The museum is located in the area of Shaheeb Quarter Park on the bank of the Old Bramaputra River.
Each year in December, the gallery authority organizes an anniversary programme that includes a discussion on the life and work of Zainul, as well as a painting competition. While the art gallery does not issue publications, Bangladesh National Museum, which has a collection of 800 Abedin paintings, has issued posters and cards on behalf of the artist. Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala is a branch of the national museum.
History
Born in Mymensingh, Abedin drew pictures sitting by the Brahmaputra River. While a student at the local Mrityunjay School, he won the first prize in The Bombay Chronicle art competition. Subsequently, the school's headmaster sent more of Abedin's paintings to India. Devoted to his art, the school's teachers encouraged him to go to Kolkata, and, in 1933, Abedin was admitted to Calcutta Government Art School.In the 1950s, Abedin began a movement of collecting neglected Bangladeshi artworks that were scattered all over rural areas of the country. The artist remained attached to his hometown, prompting the establishment of a museum in Mymensingh on 15 April 1975 in a building owned by a Mr. Barden, who later sold it to a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council. The gallery opened with approximately 70 pieces of art that included oil paintings and drawings by Abedin during his tours abroad. The gallery was initially run by a committee that was assisted by a local administration.
In its early years, it had 77 of Abedin's paintings, but in 1982, seventeen pieces of art were stolen from the museum, only ten of which were retrieved in 1994. Renovations began in 1997. Two years later, the National Museum took charge of the gallery, and completed renovations in 2004 on the facility. This included construction of a main gate, ticket counters, and walls. A projector, sound system, and dehumidifier were installed. An artists' cottage and an open-air stage were added.