The Sri Lanka Consulate General in Los Angeles in collaboration with the Sri Lanka-America photographic Art Society and Sarathchandra Buddhist Center in Oxnard, California presented a 2-day Sri Lanka Nature & Wildlife Photographic Exhibition at the Ken Locke Hall, University of the West, Rosemead, California from September 15-16, 2018. This is the first time that a Sri Lankan photographic exhibition of this magnitude was held in the Western States of the USA.
The exhibition included a large number of rare photographs taken by a Sri Lankan Photographer, Mr. Suriya Jayalath Perera and President of the Sri Lanka-America Art Society, a Graduate Student at the University of Kelaniya and also a former Project Officer of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Sri Lanka.
The exhibition depicted the rich and historical Sri Lankan cultural heritage dating back to over 2500 years, wildlife, flora & fauna of National Parks of Sri Lanka, such as Yala, Wilpattu, Udawalawa, Horton Planes, Sinharaja Rain Forest together with number of unique photographs captured at several US National Parks that include Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia, Muirwood, Zion, Arches, Antelope Canyon etc.; located in the Western States of the USA that falls under the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General.
The opening Ceremony and the reception, hosted by the staff of the Sri Lanka Consulate General was attended by over 300 guests representing the US Government, Regional City Administrations, Civic Societies, Corporate sector and multi-ethnic communities living in California. Keynote Speeches were delivered by Prof. J.B. Disanayaka and Dr. Hasantha Hettiarachchi, Program Director of the Independent Television Network, Sri Lanka.
Consul General Swarna Gunaratne, delivering opening remarks, while thanking Mr. Suriya Perera for his untiring efforts in covering the unseen beauty of Sri Lanka through Camera lenses and Prof J B Disanayaka as well as Dr. Hettiarachchi for taking time off from their extremely busy work schedule to travel to California to grace this historic occasion, briefed the audience on the forthcoming major promotional programmes that are being coordinated by the Consulate General in Western USA during the year 2018 to commemorate “Sri Lanka 70”.
The “Nature’s Magnificent Eye” drew a large number of visitors from all over California and from some other western States during the 2-day exhibition and was able to create a tremendous awareness among them about Sri Lanka and her astonishing beauty.
