Bhubaneswar, May 13: Artists from across the state would be able to sell their artworks at a souvenir counter to be set up by the state government at the Buddha Jayanti Park in Neeladri Vihar.

The counter would be a part of the sprawling art gallery to be set up by the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi under the purview of the state culture department. The project is set to take off in June.

The counter would enable the park visitors to buy paintings and installations by artists from across the state.

"We have a number of collections at our store, and we want to promote the local artists. At the store, the visitors can buy artworks to their fancy. It would also help the young artists earn some money," said akademi secretary Tarakanta Parida.

Another facility available at the counter is that one can also buy the printed versions of paintings on a lower amount. "We will keep the scanned copies of some of the pictures that the visitors can get printed, according to their choice. It is not always possible for the common people to pay for the original paintings. We, therefore, have come up with the alternative idea," said Parida.

Here, visitors can also buy monographs on the state's eminent artists - that the akademy is going to publish by this year. The monographs will contain details about the artists' life and achievements.

While a monograph on Muralidhar Tali was published last month, portfolios on artists such as Ajit Keshari Ray, Binod Routray and Chandrasekhar Rao will be released shortly. The latest publications from the department would also be available at the counter.

In another development, the art gallery project is in its final stage of construction.

Spread across 20,000sqft, the gallery will serve as a platform for artists to showcase their works through exhibitions. The department also plans to conduct art camps at the gallery occasionally.

At present, there are two state-run and three private art galleries in the state. But, the new gallery assures the art lovers of an amiable ambience to enjoy artworks.

"The gallery has been specially designed on a sustainability model, so that it can run independently inside the park. The atmosphere is quite serene where visitors can enjoy the park's serenity and at the same time witness the artworks," said Parida.