Commission will intensify efforts at promoting Visual Arts

Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st Oct. ’99

Nana Brefo-Boateng, Director of the National Commission on Culture, said on Thursday that the Commission has intensified its efforts at promoting visual arts, which has enormous economic viability.

He was opening an exhibition of artworks by Mr Kwame Amoah, a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr Robert Aryeetey, an Artist, and a Female Yugoslav Ceramist, Dragana Jovanovic-Pajovic, at the Artist Alliance Gallery in Accra.

Items on display for the two-week exhibition include ceramic works, paintings and pottery.

Nana Brefo-Boateng said in order to unearth the talents of Ghanaians in this area, the Commission would host two exhibitions dubbed 'The unknown artist' at the Southern and Northern sectors of the country at the end of the year.

He, however, called on the private sector, particularly industrial concerns and philanthropic organisations, to assist the Commission to give the visual arts "a real push and encouragement".

He regretted the apathetic attitude of Ghanaians in appreciating visual arts, adding that public sector organisations "must make it a policy to beautify their premises with artefacts with African relevance to develop the sector".

Ms Milena Lukovic-Jovanovic, Yugoslav Ambassador in Ghana, said the accumulated energy and inspiring environment of African culture and tradition "has influenced the Yugoslav society through artefacts.

She said the Yugoslav public has the opportunity to communicate with some artistic achievements of Africa through the valuable collection of the African Museum established a few decades ago in Belgrade.

"The exhibition can be considered as part of a continuation of the all-friendly relations that exist between Yugoslavia and Ghana".

Professor Ablade Glover, proprietor of the Artist Gallery, said Ghanaians are beginning to appreciate the importance of artwork, which was formerly considered a luxury.

He suggested the establishment of more galleries to expose the public to artworks and called on the government and the Commission on Culture to assist the sector as is being done for theatre and music.

The exhibitors expressed concern about the high cost of materials for their work and appealed to the government to review import duties on such materials.

GRi../