Mumbai: K V Sridhar aka Pops, National Creative Director, Leo Burnett inspires a new genre in art by showcasing iPops, a collection of his 28 paintings created on iPad. Curated by Niyatee Shinde, the art show is being held at the Scarecrow Art Gallery in Fort, Mumbai from June 11th to 30th, 2011. Two special previews have been organsied on June 10 and 11 for the city?s advertising and media and the art appreciators respectively.

Titled ipops, the exhibition offers insights into Pops? artistic passion and abilities, needless to say the potential of the iPAD. ?Deciding what counts as media technology is no longer an easy task. Today, artists all over the world are experimenting and expressing themselves with radically new artistic practices and ideas. KV Sridhar?s new body of work locates itself into that important domain of new media art practice and after cursory viewing, displays degrees of conceptual sophistication? ? says Niyatee Shinde, the curator, ipops.

Conceptualized and executed on the iPad and printed on canvas, the paintings depict rural women in all their simplicity, sensuality and sensitivity. Painted by an inherent genius, stark lines define forms and human anatomy held in primary colors. A certain naivety layers the work in the rendering and in the expressions on the faces of these women who people the canvases. However, that simplicity is a masquerade, is obvious on deeper observation. Though executed with some ease, they are an exploration of the creative possibilities of certain software as visually impasto layers flatly on the canvas surface and appears tangible.

Having spent 30 years in advertising, Pops, as he is endearingly called across generations amongst the media and advertising fraternity, goes back to his first love ? painting. About his new medium K V Sridhar says, ?Having used Fountain Pen drawing application on iPhone nearly a year back, the iPad intrigued me and finally with the Art Rage application I was done in. The best part of this is you still need to be a trained skilled painter to paint on iPad. It is a more convenient way to paint and importantly you can undo mistakes if any, of course you never get to smell the linseed oil or turpentine!?

The sale proceeds of iPops art show would be donated to an NGO working for the welfare of marginalized children. This initiative has garnered support from Tata capital. Later this month, the exhibition will be followed by workshops for young artists in fine and commercial arts conducted by Pops.

As Alan Cohen the author of inspirational books says, ?Truly creative people care a little about what they have done, and a lot about what they are doing. Their driving focus is the life force that surges in them now.? KV Sridhar has all the aesthetic life force and driving focus enough to now inspire a newer generation of fine artists through iPops.
 

Women in Advertising, Marketing and Media at Cannes Lions 2011
 
Mumbai: To address the need for gender balance in the industry, IPG?s Women?s Leadership Network (WLN) will be hosting a panel of experts from the media, advertising and marketing industries, on June 21-22, 2011 at the Cannes Lions 2011.

A panel discussion titled Beyond Mad Men: Toward Gender Diversity in Creative Roles will be hosted on June 21 by IPG Chairman and CEO, Michael I. Roth and moderated by Soledad O?Brien, CNN News Anchor and Special Correspondent. Panelists will include eminent personalities from various backgrounds including American business magnate and media personality, Martha Stewart, journalist Lisa Ling, Carol Lam, Managing Director, Chief Creative Officer, McCann-Shanghai, Kitty Lun, Chairman, CEO of Lowe China and Gail Heimann, Vice Chair of Weber Shandwick and President of Weber Shandwick New York.

To further continue the dialogue and to propagate deeper exploration of issues and implications for the industry, IPG & WLN will host an Inclusion Summit on Women in Advertising, Marketing and Media over breakfast on June 22. Sponsored by IPG WLN, the breakfast will include a research presentation by economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett on global trends on women in leadership. A panel, moderated by Eleanor Mills, will provide reaction and commentary from women leaders in the industry. Speakers will include the following industry leaders:

Agencies: Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group, Vita Harris, Chief Strategy Officer, Draftfcb New York, Dawn Winchester, EVP, Chief Marketing Services Officer, R/GA.

And Chief Marketing Officers: Kimberly Kadlec , Chief Media Officer, Johnson & Johnson, Wendy Clark, Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities, The Coca-Cola, Susan Jurevics, Senior Vice President, Global Retail CRM and Brand Marketing, Sony Corporation of America and Marni Walden, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon.

Lynn de Souza, Chairman, WLN India and Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group said, ??Sylvia is expected to share important pointers to help women develop given unique cultural differences across the world based on a recent global survey, and will also touch upon the importance of sponsorship as a key contributing factor?

Kavita Lakhani, Mumbai co-chair, WLN India and President, LinOpinion Public Relations said, ?Lynn de Souza, Chairman, WLN India is one of India?s finest women leaders and a widely quoted authority on the subject of gender balance. I am delighted that she will be sharing her expertise and insights at this historic Cannes Lions Panel discussion. Unlike most other professions, women already form a very large part of the workforce in communications and other creative professions. 34%, compared to a national average of 14%. However, the challenge before this industry is the high dropout rate. The ratio drops to just 11% at senior management positions. Lynn will share her views on cultivating, engaging and retaining this critically important (women) talent in the workplace.?

In November last year, at a power packed event in Mumbai, attended by the top 150 leaders across IPG Agencies in India, IPG-WLN had announced the launch of its India Chapter and introduced ?Equal & Opposite?, a WLN India initiative that aims to improve gender balance at leadership levels in IPG companies. Eminent speakers presiding at the event included Dr. Kiran Bedi, Social Activist, IPS Officer (retd.), Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and Leena Nair, Executive Director, HR, Hindustan Unilever Limited.
 

Mumbai : ET NOW, the 24 hr English business news channel, conducted its stock workshop ?BUY NOW SELL NOW?, in Ahmedabad on 11th June, 2011. The workshop was moderated by ET NOW?s anchor Nikunj Dalmia and was presided by Mr. Deven Choksey, MD; K R Choksey and Mr. Sudip Bandyopadhyay, MD & CEO; Destimoney Securities.

During the session, the speakers shared their outlook on the various market cues from the domestic as well as the global markets, spoke about the effective market trading strategies, identified potential sectors and provided the participants with profitable stocks to Buy-Sell-Hold.

Mr. Deven Choksey, MD; K R Choksey touched upon the current market scenario, inflation levels and policy rates, helped participants of the workshop understand how policy reforms affect investment activity & capital formation, and took the participants through various mantras for stock picking. He also gave insights on the companies such as Mundra Port & SEZ Ltd., Praj Industries Ltd., and Sterlite Technologies Ltd.

Mr.Sudip Bandyopadhyay, MD & CEO; Destimoney covered topics related to ?The India Growth Story? highlighting the nation?s tremendous upward GDP growth over the last 28 years (currently at 8.9%) and also added that India will overtake Japan in between the years 2012 and 2014 to become the 3rd largest economy in the world. He commented on the growth drivers of the Indian and South-East Asian markets and categorically stated that the growth story in India is slower when compared to China however surer.

Participants also got an opportunity to interact with Deven Choksey and Sudip Bandyopadhyay and got their market related queries addressed.

So stay tuned to ET NOW for more stock tips, market moving news and also for more opportunities to meet the market experts who will identify potential sectors and provide you with the stocks to Buy-Sell-Hold.

Delhi,10 June, 2011: Get ready for some dose of excitement this weekend with NewsX! Catch exciting interviews with actor Om Puri & leading artist Anjolie Ela Menon. Feel the adrenaline rush in a fun race at Rishikesh, take a flashback tour to the life and works of renowned film Director, Sh. Kamal Amrohi and get all the information and reviews you need on the latest gadgets & gizmos being launched in the market . All this and more only on NewsX!

Details of Weekend programming are as under:

IN THE SPOTLIGHT : This week on ? In The Spotlight? veteran journalist Ayaz Memon chats with actor Om Puri. Watch as he talks about his forthcoming film, ?West Is West? , about his struggle in making a mark in the Indian Cinema and about the commercial films he has acted in.

Telecast details: Saturday, 11th June, 2011 @ 1:30 pm

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June, 2011 @ 9.30 pm

ART TALK: This weekend ?Art Talk? features India?s leading figurative artist, Anjolie Ela Menon. Anjolie talks about her portraits including that of Indira Gandhi and Pandit Ravi Shankar, her nudes, her fascination with Naga sadhus and her experiments with kitch art. She also talks about her ‘Premonition Paintings? and dwells on how she painted Indira Gandhi in black standing behind a broken glass - a month before the PM was assassinated. Similarly she drew her own mother with brooding eyes, a week before she passed away. Finally, tips from Anjolie Ela Menon on how to learn art.

Telecast details: Saturday, 11th June, 2011 @ 4:30 pm

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June, 2011 @ 1.30 pm & 8:30 pm

CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD: NewsX will air a special documentary on child labour on the occasion of ?World Day Against Child Labour?. India has around 20 million child labourers . The documentary looks at various case studies of these children in the country.

Telecast details: Saturday, 11th June, 2011 @ 9:30 am

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June, 2011 @ 3:30 pm

FLASHBACK : This week on Flashback, NewsX relives the memories & works of Shri. Kamal Amrohi, Director of some of the most famous Bollywood titles like Mahal, Pakeez and Razia Sultan.

Telecast details: Saturday, 11th June, 2011 @ 9:30 pm

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June, 2011 @ 4:30 pm

LIVING CARS: Indulge in an Eco-adventure fun race of anchor Shams Naqvi on his mountain bicycle against a raft in Rishikesh and take a look at the green automobiles planned for India.

Telecast details: Saturday,11th June @ 6.30 pm

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June @ 11:30 am

TECHNOLOGY AND YOU: In this episode of ?Tech & You? catch reviews Epson Stylus Photo R3000- the photo printer for professional photographers and graphic artist canon Legria FS405 camcorder, TDK headphones, Creative D100 wireless speakers and Nokia X3 phone.

Telecast Timings: Saturday, 11th June @ 11.30 am

Repeat: Sunday, 12th June @ 5.30 pm
 

Mumbai: In the first ever interview in recent times to a South Indian channel, Shri Anna Hazare, renowned social activist, anti-corruption crusader and Gandhian appears on Amrita TV on Sunday, June 12 at 9 am.

In an hour-long exclusive interview with Mr. K. Gopalakrishnan, Chief Editor & CEO of Amrita TV, Shri Hazare shares intimate details of his life in a free-wheeling chat.

Shri Anna Hazare traces his career to a stint in the army, where he witnesses all his close colleagues dying in war, and his close shave with death with a bullet grazing his forehead. He goes on to explain the path breaking influence of the teachings of Swami Vivekananda which transforms his thinking as he resolves to spend his whole life in a remote village for the public good focussing on areas of Anti-Corruption, Right to Information, Integrated Village Development, Watershed Development; now emerging as an inspiration to millions across the world.

He answers questions on why he didn‘t marry or why he has not visited his own home for nearly 30 years, and how he lives in a temple compound room(10 by 12 feet) with a cot, tumbler and plate as his assets, eating one meal a day. He says that the whole world without boundaries is his extended family and he is fully at peace with his inner self. He compares his life and work with the unconditional service being done by Amma for the past so many decades.

He emphasises that all the money received by way of donation goes into a separate Trust devoted to the upliftment of the underprivileged; and that he doesn‘t accept cash awards or recognition from an organisation which is not above board, mentioning that he had refused cash awards running into millions of rupees recently.

Shri Anna Hazare was bestowed the "Amrita TV Award for Outstanding Contribution in Social Justice,Morality & Selfless Service" at a public reception in Cochin,Kerala attended by an invited audience of 15000 persons. The award which comprised a Citation and a cash purse of Rs 2 Lakhs was presented personally to Shri Hazare by Shri K. Sankaranarayanan, Hon‘ble Governor,Maharashtra in the first week of June 2011.
 

The Rockstars are here to rock you like never before!!
Mumbai: Today at a power packed event on the magnificent sets of THE X FACTOR, Sony Entertainment Television revealed top 12 singing talents that India will be proud of. "The singers are giving us a tough time to figure out which jewel to pick and polish to make them sparkle," said Shreya, who believes that anyone?s voice can be groomed over time, but X factor is something innate.

Hailing from diverse backgrounds and in every age group possible, the final 12 contestants were chosen through a nationwide hunt which began months ago with the charming and versatile singer/anchor Aditya Narayan - the host of the show, travelling the length and breadth of the country in search of complete performers. Divided in three categories, 16 ? 25 years, above 25 years and individual groups, candidates were screened for their singing talent, attitude and star quality.

Meet The X Factor finalists - The twelve contestants come from different walks of life, they consist of individual performers and groups. The first category is under-25 category which will be mentored by the dynamic, versatile singer Sonu Nigam. This group has a pool of talent, like Piyush whose X Factor is his unique style which is very contemporary and today?s style. Shovon Ganguly whose X Factor is his trained voice and his seriousness towards singing. Seema Jha nicknamed the little Lata, a tomboy by nature with the most melodious voice and a dabbang nature. Sahiti, software engineer with a unique voice, her X Factor lies in her Indianness and a pure and really professional voice.

The second category is the above-25 which will be mentored by the melodious and beautiful Shreya Ghosh. Her success is an inspiration to her group which has Kartar Singh, 63 years old retired Government official from Agra with a mellifluous voice, is always the one with a smile on his face. He is an inspiring figure to all and has a voice that will touch your heart. Geet Sagar a former radio jockey and current event manager, witty and smart, he has the ability to surprise people with a great voice to render high - pitched western songs. His X Factor is his spunky voice. Amit Jadhav, a professional singer who is inspired by MJ and Prabhudeva?s dancing, always a surprise every time he comes on stage with an amazing voice quality and a voice oozing romance. An all out performer, for the first time, India will see a complete rock star like him. He will be an audio-visual delight packed in one. And last but not the least, Manjeera Gangully an aspiring playback singer, most dedicated contestant with a brilliant understanding of music. Music is her passion.

The third category comprises of groups and preparing them for the ultimate challenge is Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He will be mentoring 4 unique groups, a category which has never been presented on Indian Television till date. So get ready to watch DEEWANA a local group from Ratlam with scores of successful shows on their back. NIRMITEE, a group of four students from Mumbai University with their own brand of music and very individualistic style. SAJDA from Valsad, a trio of two sisters and a niece with no formal training in music, but brilliant renditions which will have you captivated. This is the only group who have got standing ovation from the judges for every performance. And lastly, LAST MINUTE, a group of vibrant young 16 year olds from the Pratt Memorial choir troupe from Kolkata.

Announcing the top 12 finalists, Sneha Rajani, Senior EVP and Business Head Sony Entertainment Television said, ?The X Factor which launched on Sony Entertainment Television on the June 29th has opened with a houseful across markets with an average of 2.1 TVR and 28% of people have watched the show. As customary, the ratings for a singing show always pick up with the GALA performances and we are looking forward to the galas which start from the 10th of June with the top 12 finalists giving powerhouse performances.?

Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Bhalwankar, Programming Head, SET said, ?The X Factor is more than just a television show. It is by far India?s biggest platform for emerging talent and I?m delighted to present to you the stars of the future. These outstandingly talented 12 will keep you on the edge of your seat for weeks to come; they represent the best of the class across different categories, guaranteed to catch your imagination like never before. On behalf of Sony I wish all the contestants a great musical journey and may the best talent win.?

Get ready to witness the birth of the next mega star in the most lavishly mounted show and spectacular sets as the top 12 contestants embark upon a musical journey to display their X Factor and win the title of being first winner of The X Factor India. Produced by Freemantle India, X Factor is the new benchmark of all the singing shows on Indian television.