Shillong: Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar marked 35 years of the Riti Academy of Visual Arts at Lok Bhavan on September 30. The Annual Riti Academy Awards 2026 highlighted local talent. Dignitaries joined the Governor, including Additional Chief Secretary HC Choudhary and Arts and Culture officials FR Kharkongor and Camelia Doreen Lyngwa.
Academy advisors RV Warjri and Raphael Warjri attended the ceremony. Vijayashankar praised the institution for its focus on regional artistry. He told the crowd, "Today’s youths often surpass veteran standards across various creative disciplines." The Governor urged organizers to keep integrating young people into these cultural programs.
Five winners accepted memorial awards during the event. Lalhming Mawii of Mizoram took the Prithpal Singh Sehdave Ladi Memorial Award for visual arts. Royalborn Suting of the Khmih Creative Society won the Crystal Gayle Memorial Award for music. Janai Nongkynrih received the Sumar Sing Sawian Memorial Award for performing arts. Aaron Lyngdoh claimed the S. Quotient Sumer Memorial Award for media. Shibor Mawkon of the Pynter Orchestra accepted the Rana Kharkongor Memorial Award for music.
FR Kharkongor commended the Academy for its public art projects. He pointed to the relief sculpture mural at the Information Technology Park in New Shillong as a prime example of their work. The Academy remains active in historical preservation. RV Warjri noted the team built monuments for the Anglo-Khasi War heroes Tirot Sing Syiem, Bormanik Syiem, and Sngap Sing Syiem. The group stands tall. One monument reaches 24 feet, making it the tallest in the state.
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