The art scene in Nepal has not always been able to promote its local talent to best effect. More often than not, exhibitions manifest a power struggle between local and foreign artists. However, Lalit Kala Campus, the first college to offer art education in Kathmandu, in collaboration with Siddhartha Art Gallery, is set to break the mould. 'A Passage Through the Years (1965-2010)' is opening at the Nepal Art Council on 29 April. It presents the biggest collection of local works, both classic and modern, ever shown in Nepal.

The exhibition is straightforward in its intentions: to showcase the works of about 70 painters and sculptors, ranging from the late masters to the current generation of teachers at Lalit Kala Campus. An impressive number of roughly 150 paintings and 30 sculptures will catalogue the achievements of some of Nepal's most brilliant minds and dexterous hands.

But the exhibition is not only about pleasing the eye. With the introduction of a Masters Degree in Fine Arts, the first of its kind here, Lalit Kala Campus is looking for ways to fund the construction of a new resource centre for the curriculum and its students. "Siddhartha Art Gallery is supporting the exhibition because students of fine arts are running without resources. We intend to do something for them," says Sangita Thapa, director of Siddhartha Art Gallery and curator of the show.

Of the funds raised, 50 per cent will go to the artists themselves, and 20 per cent will be directed to Lalit Kala Campus. With even more incentive and support being lent to the new wave of Nepali artists, the art scene will be well worth your attention in the years to come.