The first Kalyana Karnataka Chitra Santhe, an open-air art exhibition in Kalaburagi, struggled to attract visitors on February 17. Only 35 artists took part, showing digital art, paintings, and photographs. Senior artist Mohammad Ayazuddin Patel showed digital works on modern themes. Rehman Patel and Shaheed Pasha displayed abstract and figurative paintings. Gopal P.K. presented calm watercolours of rural scenes and archaeological sites. A special segment featured S.M. Neela’s paintings on Basaveshwara’s values of social equality and spiritual dialogue from the 12th century. Photographer Narayan Joshi captured daily life in rural and semi-urban areas. Despite the art’s variety, few visitors came most of the day. Artists blamed poor publicity and low support from cultural groups. The highlight was a drawing competition where around 250 school students from 20 schools took part. Their energy and color filled the space, encouraging parents and teachers to visit. Dr. Shaheed Pasha, President of Deccan Art Society, said this was the first attempt and hoped to improve future events with better planning. Artists called for stronger outreach to help such shows succeed and grow.