Featured video captures work in progress of a permanent wall mural titled "Our Global Connections". Contemporary conceptual artist Chitra Ramanathan was chosen to create this wall painting as Artist in Residence. The project involved creating a large-scale wall mural for the front lobby of Creek Elementary School, Marion County Indianapolis, Indiana U.S.A, to represent the international focus of the school. Chitra started by painting the base, while each student was allotted a portion to paint or stick collage material to represent icons from different parts of the world. All 505 students from Kindergarten to grade 5 was given a chance to know and work with the artist. After all students had contributed, Chitra worked to unify the painting in her unique textural abstract style that is typical of her extensive, known body of work, without altering the students' contribution. To quote the art teacher in charge of related administration, "Students had so much fun working on the mural!" The final piece measures 13.8 feet wide and 4 feet high and was created between March and April 2008. This site-specific public art commission made possible by a grant to the school by the Washington Township School Foundation, Indiana. It was completed April 5, 2008. Says a recent collector of Chitra's painting who is an art connoisseur and a former staffer of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, "I first met Chitra when I took her classes at the Indianapolis Art Center. I wanted a painting by Chitra because I like the feeling her abstract work evokes. I like the way her paintings make me feel and think; and I like how she communicates so much with a subtle use of color or a tiny brush stroke.....There is so much in our world today that can be considered "negative", that I like art around me that offers hope and that reaches for joy. For me, her paintings do that"-Alice Irvan, President, AIRvan Consulting, LLC, Indianapolis U.S.A. Trivia Two of her large-scale paintings are permanently displayed and owned by the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA since 1995. Her first solo exhibition in the U.S was hosted by the ARC Gallery and Educational Foundation at Chicago in 1994. This major exhibition featured her paintings as well as sculptures and prints. The Chicago exhibition was followed by shows at different art galleries on Broadway, New York from 1995-1998. She coined the phrase "formless forms" to describe her visual depiction of happiness, an emotion of the mind, in her extensive body of colorful paintings with myriad textures. Calls her images of happiness "formless forms", while portraying that emotion of the mind as a visual entity. She received the Liquitex "Excellence in Art" Product Grants for two consecutive years (1994 and 1995) from Binney and Smith Inc., makers of Crayola crayons. Has spent a month painting and drawing entire days in Paris, France that inspired her current work. The major influence for her current body of work stemmed from keenly observing the gardens from inside the Claude Monet House during visits to Giverny. Her favorite painting, The Waterlily Pond, 1897. The Indianapolis Artsgarden was the venue of the most recent solo exhibition of her signature paintings. To date, most of her signature style paintings have got sold to collectors in the state of California. Has taught courses and workshops in Acrylic painting and Mixed media painting at the Indianapolis Art Center since 2004. Her biography is listed in the national directory Who's Who in America 2008. Her 1998 and 2000 originals titled "A Momentary Glance", and "Coruscation" respectively, were the originals works upon which two large-scale paintings on canvas signed by the artist were created for MGM Mirage for the Bellagio, Las Vegas in 2004. "Coruscation", a mixed-media painting on canvas measuring 18 inches X 24 inches, is owned by an Indianapolis based collector who acquired it in 2006. Has created drawings and paintings throughout her childhood and adolescent years.Began drawing and painting from the age of four.When she was just twelve years old, her watercolor painting was showcased in recognition of her talent at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkatta, India, in addition to being awarded a silver trophy through the Philips India Ltd. "Parichay" Child Art Competition during an award function at the venue. She was awarded a prize in the form of a camera at the age of ten through a national child art competition by Hindustan Unilever Ltd., India. Has received several silver trophies from art competitions throughout her growing years. Created portraits and landscapes throughout her childhood.