Anita Choudhrie’s ‘Path to Success’ – 10 Years and Counting

Dedicatedly working for good causes and raising funds for people in need, philanthropist Mrs. AnitaChoudhrie has come a long way. Her dear project and charity house ‘Path to Success’, which helps to uplift THE unprivileged in India and United Kingdom, celebrated 10 years of existence recently.

Born in 2006, Path to Success till date managed to raise over £300,000 for various causes. The charity house which is currently raising funds for London Titans Wheelchair Basketball Club is said to collect money every year for different causes. This year they are supporting the multi-talented wheelchair basketball club and till date have collected £42,000 for London Titans. They also organised a fund raiser wheelchair basketball tournament in April, and the money collected was spent for purchasing new custom wheelchairs, training equipment and book venues for training sessions.

Excitedly, Anita said “we are delighted to have helped so many worthwhile causes over the last 10 years both here and abroad.” 

“Our 60 for 60 campaign to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 2012 was special. Originally we planned to buy 60 wheelchairs for 60 hospitals, but we kept on going, raising more money, and ended up buying 83,” said Choudhrie.

“It was a cause that was not fashionable; people were not aware of it. We collected a lot of data and did a lot of research. We worked across the whole of England, from north to south. That was the most emotionally rewarding project I’ve ever been involved in. When you see the impact your fundraising has on people’s lives, it’s amazing.”

Anita is also associated with India’s Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, which helps disabled children in India, Trust of Learning Matters Indian and the Dhuk Bhanjani Trust. Amar Jyoti also provides sporting activities and cultural enrichment to over 750 youngsters, and through them Path to Success has been able to collect £65,000.

In July 2010, Anita was also presented with The Globe Award by Commons speaker John Bercow for outstanding charitable work.

“We have always championed the disabled and we will continue to do that,” she said. “We will continue supporting good causes according to our four core principles: helping educate those who can’t take education for granted; helping people overcome their disabilities; supporting organisations which help people with long-term health problems but limited financial resources; and providing overseas aid in the event of natural disasters. We will follow our philosophy which is to help individuals overcome their difficulties.”

‘Art as Investment’ – Is the world running out of true art lovers?

World economy is undergoing drastic changes. With the shifts and developments affecting the world on a larger scale, various aspects concerning human behaviour towards monetary benefits are also evolving. Art, which once used to be personification of an era brought together, is now promoted as an investment option. The latest Deloitte Art & Finance Report highlighted that 75% of buyers and collectors buy art as a form of investment.

But every coin has a flip side too. There are several art enthusiasts who are trying to restore the actual value and essence of art across the globe. Amongst them there is one of the notable philanthropists and founder of Stellar International Art Foundation, Mrs. Anita Choudhrie who believes that “the value of art collection as a form of social and cultural expression must not be underestimated.”

Addressing the issue, Anita said “Art collection requires patience, passion, interest and intellectual curiosity. It necessitates taking a more holistic view, to knowledge that, whilst an art may prove to be a worthy financial investment, its value extends much further.  Though paintings often have a price tag, art itself is priceless.”

Anita Choudhrie loves to encourage people to select art pieces for personal interest than financial motives. . “This is because my personal experience has taught me that, by collecting a series of artistic works purely out of interest, a buyer begins to value their collection as more than the sum of its parts.”

Anita explicitly said, “Part of the reason for such a dramatic change in sentiment is because during the last few years, the global arts market has achieved an impressive degree of financial growth. Online art purchases were estimated to reach $4.7 billion in 2015 and the sale of post war and contemporary art fetched their owners a total of $5.9 billion. Moreover, auction records are broken nearly as soon as they are made, works by Paul Gaugin and Picasso are fetching over $100m apiece and according to a recent report by the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF), art market sales reached an astounding $51bn in 2015, the highest level ever recorded.

“However, what this also highlights is that art is always more than a financial investment. It is a cultural investment. In fact, I would be inclined to emphasise the social and cultural aspects emphasised by the act of collecting.”

Carrying over 600 exclusive art pieces and artefacts, SIAF houses largest private collection of World of Colours creator Paresh Maity, and the entire Maria series of late MF Husain.

Anita Choudhrie Speaks About Perceiving Art as Investment

Art and aesthetics have kept the generations alive, by capturing their essence in wonderful strokes of colours. While art enthusiasts have always tried to preserve the interest behind this, the latest fad amongst people is to buy art as a form of investment. In fact over 75% of buyers and collectors do this, as suggested in Deloitte Art & Finance Report.

Over this, Anita Choudhrie, founder of StellarInternational Art Foundation expressed her viewpoints in an interview. Anita has been working on preserving the classic art pieces, and harbouring legendary art work under the Stellar umbrella. 

Here are some excerpts from her latest interview. 

“The fact is many now laud art as an investment, not least in comparison to the volatile stock markets, as on paper it is impervious to economic uncertainties. It is a largely non-correlated asset – insofar as it is not affected by the financial or other markets that collectors might be part of – which makes it attractive to those wanting to diversify their portfolio.

“I would strongly encourage buyers to consider their purchase in terms of a wider collection portfolio and to select for personal benefit rather than simply for financial motivations. This is because what drives any passionate collector is their individual perception and viewpoint on an artwork.”

She also narrated her own experience, “Art is more than a financial investment. It is a cultural investment. I have found that by collecting a series of works by a chosen artist simply out of genuine interest, a buyer can begin to value their collection as more than a mere sum of its parts.”

Anita addressed the issue of art being exploited as investment, and blurted, “Personally, I am inclined to argue that one should focus first and foremost on the non-financial benefits of art collection. Under this view, any financial gain is merely an additional benefit rather than an expected outcome.

“While art may well prove to be a worthy financial investment, its value certainly does not end there. Indeed, whilst paintings may have a price tag, art itself is priceless.”

Stellar International Art Foundation houses over 600 artefacts and antics by international artists dating back from 19^th century to present day. The collection includes largest private creations of Paresh Maity, creator of World of Colours, and entire Maria series by late MF Husain.  

Anita Choudhrie’s Family Honoured at Columbia University Medical Centre

At the official dedication of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center, The Choudhrie Family Foundation was not only honoured but recognised for its efforts. The education centre is the new medical and graduate education building at the Columbia University Medical Centre in Manhattan. With the donation received from The Choudhrie Family Foundation, the medical centre constructed a Choudhrie Family Student Lounge, an area dedicated for hardworking students to relax and study between classes and other demands. 

Sudhir and Anita Choudhrie attended the event.

Lee Goldman, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center said “My good friends Bunny and Anita Choudhrie are major benefactors for the building and great friends of Columbia.” He also added, “I want to thank you for contributing your friendship and how much you mean to all of us here at the medical center.”

Choudhrie family has a long and important connection with Columbia University Medical Center. In 1999 the doctors at the medical centre had treated Sudhir Choudhrie in 1999 with a heart transplant. Their family had also donated $2.5 million to establish the Sudhir Choudhrie Professorship of Cardiology in 2009.

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger called the Choudhries and other donors “Columbian families through and through; you just can’t say enough about what these families have done for Columbia.”

On this honourable occasion, Bhanu Choudhrie, son of Sudhir and Anita Choudhrie said, “Our entire family is eternally grateful to everyone at Columbia. We are proud to be a part of this exciting new project and to be part of the Columbia University Medical Center family.”

Creator of World of Colours, Paresh Maity wins inaugural award

Paresh Maity, the renowned Indian artist, was awarded the editors award at an extravagant ceremony which was held to celebrate the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), where the very best of British South-Asian talent is recognised. Paresh Maity is the first receiver of this prestigious award, which was presented by Hamza Jeetooa, the famous British actor cum film-maker. Hamza spoke highly of Maitys contributions to the art community and the deep impact he has created, he said: “Paresh Maity is one of the leading contemporary artists of his time and is regarded as India’s leading water colour painter – from a humble background not far from Kolkata, he was initially self-taught but slowly began to establish a strong reputation. His water and boats series brought him to the attention of the art community in India and since then he has gone onto become one of India’s most important painters".

Maity talked about his relationship with art and painting while receiving the award. His belief is that art is a medium of cultural diversity and a connoisseur can explore the numerous aspects and visions that life has to offer through art and develop different perspectives on life and culture.

He commented: “Winning this award is an incredible experience. I have always been inspired by our world of colours. My travels, which have taken me to many new countries, form an integral part of my life and my art. Our world is diverse and we need to celebrate that diversity – the way our individual and social lives intersect and bring vibrancy to the world. Colour is life; it is the universe. Without colour and the play of light and shade, life will cease. Art has a unique ability to transcend the everyday – whilst the common discourse tells us that different people and cultures are all antagonistic towards each other – art reminds us that we are all part of the same canvas.”

Paresh Maity’s paintings have found their way into revered collections, such as the British Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi and the Vatican embassy in New Delhi amongst others. He is popularly known for using vibrant colours to evoke passion through paintings. His works have been honoured by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society Award for Best watercolour painting, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, the British Council visitor ship award, the Dayawati Modi award for Art, Culture and education and the Padma Shri award.

Anita Choudhrie, founder of the Stellar International Art Foundation, commented: 

"Paresh is a man who believes in humanity first and this ACTA award is a testament to that humanist ideal that inspires everything he does. It goes without saying, that this shows through in his creativity of colours and ingenuity on canvas. Paresh's spontaneity and imagination are vast and unique, and no doubt have helped him win professional and complimentary accolades across India and now internationally."

The Stellar International Art Foundation, which was conceptualised by the Choudhrie Family, has been amongst the first patrons and supporters of Paresh Maity. The foundation commissioned Maity to make watercolours of their vintage cars after meeting him over his very first exhibition in Delhi in the 1990s. Since then, the Foundation undertakes the majority of his oeuvre, including his largest series of watercolours, 57 pieces of Venice.