With the clear ideation of educating the students of art, esp. Drawing and Painting systematically , Shri Shankar Keshav Thosar an able fine artist, along with his artist colleagues, commenced an art institutions on 1st June 1939 in Dadar, Mumbai. The colleagues were Shri. R.S. Patkar, and Shri. M.S. Joshi. In a short-while Shri. R.P. Joshi and Shri. M.V. Bhave joined the trio. Visualising the clear ideal, the institute was aptly named “Model Art Institute”.
About the founder Members of the Institute
Shri. Shankar Keshav Thosar
Birth 7th October 1912 – Death 6th June 1990 ( Pune )
Shri. S.K. Thosar, a fine artist, an art teacher and a reputed interior decorator as well. Participated in Art exhibitions held all over the country and won many prizes. The imprint of his personage clad in dhoti, a white sadra and occasionally a coat, still cannot be erased from the mind of his students.
He passed the diploma (drawing and painting) from Shri. Ketkar’s Art Institute, where his co. students were the well known artists Shri. Deenanath Dalal and Shri. V.R. Bam.
He worked as a furniture designer in some famous firms before standing his own in Mumbai and Coimbtoor. A book ‘Thosar’s Decorative Designs’ was published by Gangals’ publication in 1982.
Shri. Murlidhar Sadashiv Joshi
Birth 1912 – Death 21st Feb. 2001
A master of water colour landscapes, also handled oil colours with same ease. An inborn teacher and an erudite reader, he also directed the Marathi dramas performed in the annual gatherings of the institute.
His career as a painter is studded with 65 prizes, including a number of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and cash prizes. He had 13 one man shows to his credit. The Government of Maharashtra endowed him with ‘Maharashtra Gourav’ award in 1990. His paintings have enriched the private as well as the public collections including one of H.H. queen Elizabeth II of U.K.
Late Shri. Raghuveer Prabhakar Joshi
Birth 12th March 1911 – Death 19th May 1987
“Versatile” will be correct word to describe the personality of Late Shri. R.P.Joshi . Though an art teacher and the lecturer in V.J.T.I, his penmanship covered the subjects related not only to colour, textiles and art education but also children’s psychology and the sighting of ghosts. He published nearly 20 articles on art educations and different streams in the art drawing and painting, 11 articles on colour and design. He also wrote letters in newspapers and periodicals, and taught for the pay-scales for drawing teachers. ‘Faculty of Fine Arts’ in Mumbai University is the outcome of the efforts of like minded persons including himself.
His essays on Textile earned space is prestigious periodicals in Bharat and abroad. He was honoured in a seminar of colour scientists conducted by ‘Colour Group Of India’. This whole journey made him more content in fulfilling his life mission.
Late Shri. Rajaram Shantaram Patkar
An artist and art-teacher, Shri. Patkar was a freedom too, going underground for some period. He performed keertan and directed the folk dance in annual gathering of orient high school, Mahim. After Independence, he joined the government service as a drawing inspector, hence had to leave our institute.
Late Shri. M.V. Bhave
Birth 21st October 1917 – Death 25th June 1973
Youngest among his co-teachers, Shri. Bhave met an untimely death before reaching sixty. He participated, along with other co-teachers in the art exhibitions and won prizes and commendations in them. Some of his paintings adorn some private collections.
He was an examiner for the drawing and painting course run by British Institute during 1950-60. He also worked as a freelance commercial designer for some time.
Shri. B.R.Rajadhyaksha
Shri. Rajadhyaksha too, like Shri. Patkar had to leave our institute as he joined a government high school as a drawing teacher.