/UCWE/ - A professional artist and educator, Chitra Ramanathan is most known for her mixed media textural colorful mural-like abstract paintings that are often very large. Her numerous works are with private, corporate and public collections around the United States and in Europe. Chitra's annodized aluminum and plexiglas paintings have been described as "tactile works that resonate with a quiet harmony" and ..."originally from India, her work reflects the spiritulity of her culture" by Manhattan Arts New York, and her paintings on canvas, lithographs and monotype prints as "Simply luxurious" by the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette.

Following the renovation of the Hotel Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, two mixed media textural paintings, each measuring 4 feet by six feet in dimension commissioned of Chitra Ramanthan by the MGM Mirage Design Group were created in the artists' signature style of abstract painting and are on permanent display at the entrance of the Cafe Bellagio since October 2004.

The University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts' August 2005 Publication elaborates, "Chitra's paintings exemplify her love of nature as well as the subjectivity of each individual's unique pursuit of happiness. Her painting procedure often entails making mental notes of a scene in nature, including the lighting, colors, and textures. She then uses these impressions in her studio to replicate the subject matter in an abstracted form, using rich physical textures, intense colors, and varied media".

Chitra received her Bachelors in Painting with Honours and her M.B.A in Art Museum Administration and Human Resources from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently Art Faculty, Department of Painting at the Indianapolis Art Center, Chitra was invited by Professor Maurice Cockrill RA, to lecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, London in October 2005 where she spoke about her career experiences and painting techniques to Maurice Cockrill and postgraduate art students and conducted individual student tutorials.

Chitra Ramanathan's popular paintings and biographies can be accessed at the following links:

www.galleries-online.co.uk/artistgallery.cfm?content=images&;;;;artistid=134
www.avisen-avk.com/chitra_ramanathan.htm
www.askart.com/artist/R/chitra_ramanathan.asp?ID=130159
www.indyarts.org/artist_detail.aspx?id=144&;;;;ty=alp&lr=r
www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/c/chitraramanathan/

The Indianapolis Artsgarden provides a magnificent environment for more than 300 free performances and exhibits each year, and houses the city's only centralized cultural concierge information service. The seven-story-tall glass enclosed structure offers a spectacular view of the city. The facility is owned and operated by the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

Located above the intersection of Washington and Illinois streets in downtown Indianapolis, the Artsgarden connects to the Embassy Suites complex and Circle Center Mall. It is linked by the indoor skywalk to the Hyatt Regency, Canterbury, Omni, Westin and Marriott hotels as well as the Indianapolis Convention Center and RCA Dome.

Artsgarden hours:
Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, noon - 6:30 p.m.

Artsgarden Cultural Concierge hours:
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday, noon - 6 p.m.

Contact numbers:
Artsgarden Director: (317) 624-2565
Artsgarden Cultural Concierge: (317) 624-2563