Today, somewhere in the world, a child is drawing on the back of his schoolbooks, a toddler is randomly sketching on the wall of his room, a painter is standing in front of his unfinished painting canvas; feeling stuck choosing the right shade to complete his painting.
Somewhere in the world, an elderly calligraphy artist quietly expresses his passion through beautifully crafted words and symbols, expressing his love and devotion for the Lord.
Every year on April 15, people around the world express their love of art, not with protests, but with color, using their imagination. World Art Day is a global celebration of creativity and expression that transcends boundaries.
Today, let’s try to understand why this day was chosen to celebrate arts, what is the significance behind it, what is the theme of World Art Day 2025, and what events will take place this month to celebrate art, artists, and creativity.
History of World Art Day
International Association of Arts established April 15 as World Art Day, which falls on the birthday of the renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci, who was born in 1452.
This day is a tribute to one of the greatest artistic minds of all time.
In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially recognized World Art Day, resulting in its celebration worldwide.
This day not only celebrates painting but arts in all of its forms including visual arts, performance arts, doodling, literary arts, sculpting as well as digital arts.
Why Celebrating Arts Matters?
Celebrating arts matters because it honors the very essence of what makes a person human. Human beings are unique due to their ability to feel deeply and express their emotions freely and some people convey their emotions in the form of arts. It offers a refuge in chaos and sparks empathy whenever words fail to fully convey thoughts, desires, and emotions.
In celebrating World Art Day, we are not just showcasing beauty and talent, but we are also recognizing the fact that creativity is a vital force behind healing and understanding. It helps in building a more compassionate world.
Celebrating arts internationally also promotes cultural exchange and diversity as well as creating awareness about arts education and the significance of creativity in learning.
This day also celebrates the role of artists in society, who through their creative skills help us slow down, take a moment, and see the world differently without any judgment.
The theme of World Art Day 2025
The theme of World Art Day 2025 is “Art for Unity and Transformation.” It aims to highlight the role of art in unifying people, and overcoming the barrier of borders, cultures, ethnicities, languages, and political differences. It also emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and artistic expression.
Events Celebrating Arts this Month
Several events are taking place, not just on April 15, but throughout this month to celebrate arts.
Several art galleries have announced Art Day celebrations, inviting people around the world to visit their galleries and appreciate the works of local as well as renowned artists.
Some of the event that are taking place today and this month are mentioned below:
Celebrations at Lamar University: Lamar University in Texas is hosting a community art event in The Mary and John Gray Library, encouraging students and other participants to contribute to create a collaborative banner to celebrate arts.
Exhibition at Fondation Louis Vuitton: Fondation Louis Vuitton is hosting an exhibition in Paris, to celebrate artist David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The exhibition would showcase nearly 400 of Hockney’s works including paintings, illustrations, pencil sketches, charcoal designs as well as digital art.
World Art Day-Wallace Hartley & Band Awards: In Turkey, the Turkish Artists Association (UPSD) is organizing “World Art Day-Wallace Hartley & Band Awards” to honor the outstanding contributions of Wallace Hartley, who is famously known for his violin play during the last hours until Titanic sank.
‘How Am I Monument’ – an Exhibition of Ali Cherri’s Works: The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has hosted an exhibition of a Beirut-born artist, Ali Cherri, exploring contemporary works inspired by Middle Eastern archaeology. His exhibition titled “How Am I Monument” offers a thought-provoking experience for visitors, celebrating the unique mixture of arts and archaeology.
Art Dubai 2025: From April 18-20, Dubai will be hosting the “Art Dubai 2025” festival, which is one of the leading international art festivals in the Middle East.
It would showcase contemporary and modern art from around the world.
Works of around 10 Pakistani Artists will be featured in the contemporary section at the Dubai Art 2025 festival. These artists are Rasheed Araeen, Anwar Saeed, Faiza Butt, Safdar Ali Qureshi, Imran Qureshi, Sana Arjumand, Shehnaz Ismail, Shezad Dawood, Maha Ahmad, and works of famous Pakistani painter, Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi.
Each of these Pakistani artists has a very distinct style ranging from abstract art to intricately detailed paintings and illustrations.
These Pakistani artists would offer a compelling glimpse into Pakistan’s rich visual language, during the Dubai Art 2025 festival.
How Can You Celebrate World Art Day
There are several ways a person can celebrate World Art Day this year.
Some of them includes visiting an art gallery to appreciate arts, participating events organized by local arts societies, one can also participate in visual arts workshop and exhibitions, purchasing the works of local artists or promoting their work on social media.
Another way to celebrate is to share your artwork on social media using hashtag #WorldArtDay to ensure better reach to the audience celebrating this day.
To sum it up, arts might not save the world, but maybe it is enough that arts remind us to be gentle once again and take care of one another. A reminder that everyone needs from time to time, in this rushed world.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
