The Kandyan Art Association’s establishment in 1882 is largely owed to the efforts Central Provincial Government Agent, Sir John Frederick Dickson, whose vision was to provide for the betterment of the region’s craftsmen and their industry. In 1924, thanks to the efforts of Dickson’s successors, the association was relocated from a small room in the Government Agent’s Office to its present lakeside location. The building in which the Kandyan Art Association is currently housed is over 175 years old. Situated at the edge of Kandy Lake and just meters from the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), the structure served as a residence for the Sinhalese royal household before being converted into a hospital around 1876. Despite its varied uses over the years, the building has retained its unique character over the last two centuries and today serves not only as the Association’s art gallery and sales outlet, but also a site for the demonstration of a range of production activities, including hand loom weaving, dumbara mat weaving, and wood carving.