Artist appeals to govt to recognize art as development tool

Ms Marigold Akuffo-Addo, a renowned Ghanaian Contemporary Artist on Friday called for the creation of a platform that would enable artists to contribute their quota towards the socio-economic development efforts of the country.

“Fine Art has directives and fuel for future development and it is the artist that can delve into the past and harness it with the present to create a vision for the future so artists must be allowed to play important roles and make an impact in society” she said.

Ms Akuffo-Addo was speaking during the “Meet the Artist “lecture and exhibition show organised by Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA), which was on the theme: "Creative Perspectives-Promoting contemporary Art in Ghana.”

She said it was unfortunate that most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa had failed to recognize Art as a development tool.

“Most of the countries that we look up to in the Western World have devoted resources towards the promotion of Art but in Sub-Saharan Africa, Art has been sidelined and the needs of artists are not satisfied,” she said.

Ms Akuffo-Addo suggested the need for a forum for the exchange of different Art forms and ideas among artists in Sub-Saharan Africa to enable them to promote their works outside the borders of their countries.

“It was in Senegal and Sierra Leone where I absorbed into my work the different Art forms of these countries. Utility is a primary factor in African Art that is why I build up my canvas in one tenths of an inch squares and the medium: oil paint, acrylic, pen and ink, etchings and lithographs as well as paintings usually to tell a story” she said.

Ms Akuffo-Addo said her upcoming “Kasa “project which encompasses architecture, music, décor, fine art, and embraces other forms of art was meant to lift artists into a new era of development to enable them to make an impact in society.

Ms Adwoa Amoah, Project Director of FCA noted that artists are a precious human resource whose potential may be realized best if they work to build a network

“Our mission is to create an active network of artists and a critical forum for the development of contemporary art in Ghana. 'FCA is the only foundation of its kind in Ghana and it is dedicated to supporting the development of young artists. It offer artists a badly needed place to brainstorm, learn about the international art scene and keep in contact with the World” she said.

Ms Amoah said FCA projects such as “Art in public spaces”, “Meet the artist”, “Mentorship” and “Breaking barriers” provide a critical platform for the promotion and development of contemporary art in Ghana.