ART EDUCATORS MEET, COUNSEL ON BEST WAY TO REPOSITION VISUAL ARTS IN SCHOOLS AND THE SOCIETY

On the sideline of the recently held, Art Arising Art Festival 2021, held at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, a group of art educators and scholars gathered to deliberate on the fate and fortune of art education in the country.

Deliberating on the theme, “Visual Arts” Education Trajectories in Nigeria: Responding to its Receding Reality at the National Museum Onikan, Lagos, Nigeria, the gathering generally lamented the poor, somehow outmoded state of teaching and scholarship in the various art teaching institutions, and thus came up with the following communique, which was signed by the painter, art teacher, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, who convened and coordinated the programme:

* Nigeria’s Education system should deliberately formulate policy documents to protect the Visual Arts Profession

* Artists in all sphere of our economy, viz: Education, Media, Industries, Studio practice etc. should focus their attention on problem solving issues.

* Government-funded Art agencies and the Society of Nigerian Artists should put up purposeful and workable regulations to regulate Visual Arts practices.

* Educating leaders and office holders from the federal; states and local governments on the importance of Art Education in Social Development.

* Bureaucracy about the requirements involved in the study of Visual Arts in Nigeria’s higher institutions of learning should be flexible to accommodate Art or Science student provided he/she has 5 credits.

* Exploring Visual Arts to solve humanity problems (Art therapy, applied arts, vocational/technology/ICT imbued arts, animation, and the likes)

* Adaptation of African culture into our Visual Arts studies and practices will go a long way to project our potentials as Africans.

* Awarenesses should be created to let people who want to study Visual Arts get it right from the beginning.

* Artists and the Society of Nigerian Artists should take responsibilities for developing their careers by being part of policy makers in what ever human endeavour they found themselves.

* Arts should be withdrawn from the culture of our education that was based on administrative structure to a very pragmatic, technologically and ICT one.

* Artists should be more visible in the public space by putting up meaningful and problem solving Art shows and programmes on TV stations and other available media to allow Visual Arts to get to large audience at homes.

The Speakers at the event were:

* Dr Ademola Azeez, Provost FCE T Akoka, Yaba- Chairman
* Dr. Timothy Olusola Ogunfuwa- lecturer, UNILAG, – Panelist.
* Olojo Kosoko, Chairman SNA, Lagos State Chapter, – Panelist.
* Pam Leye Makanju, Chief Lecturer, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, – Panelist.
* Dr. Adenle, lecturer, UNILAG – Panelist.
* Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, lecturer, unilag,- Panelist.
* Mrs Favour Akatapo, Dean, School of Vocational studies, FCE T Akoka, – Panelist.
* Olu Ajayi, Artist – Panelist.
* Dr. Mrs Odun Orimolade, lecturer, Yaba Tech,- Panelist.
* Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, – coordinator and moderator

Also present was Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce, the general coordinator of Art Alliance 51, the group that produced the Art Arising 2021, as well as other artists that featured in the festival.


Source: https://www.naijatimes.ng