World Sculpture Day: Anambra to partner professionals in promoting Arts

Mrs Sally Mbanefo, Commissioner for Indigenous Artworks, Diaspora Affairs, Culture and Tourism in Anambra has said the state government will partner professionals in promoting Arts.

Mbanefor said this at the 2018 World Sculpture Day and Exhibition held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka on Tuesday.

The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Post Industrial Divergence, Discourse and New Directions’

The commissioner said the Fine and Applied Arts of the institution had done very well in the creation of Art works and promised to partner it in raising awareness for the sector.

Mbanefo who inaugurated the Arts exhibition urged youths and enthusiast to be more committed to it as the Anambra government was ready to help them attain their aspired heights in the field.

“It is an incredible exhibition, I like the boldness and courage of the artists as seen in their works here, its enthralling and it connotes high level of confidence.

“The government will do all that it can to encourage them, we can save our environment by converting some wastes to these works and bio-fuel.

“We are going to launch exhibition in the ministry on constant basis to raise awareness on works of Arts and they are going to be part us,” she said.

On his part, Prof Cliff Nwanna of the Fine and Applied Arts Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka said this years’ celebration was geared towards bringing Arts closer to the community.

Nwanna who is in Charge of Sculpture Unit of the University said there was need for state government to create Centres of Arts to further create more awareness.

He apart from providing funds to develop the sector, arts clubs should be included in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools to enable children develop interest in them.

“This Sculpture Day is intended to bring the University and the community closer, so we took things that are common in our environment like blacksmithing, metal works and bring aesthetics out of them.

“We need Arts Centres, we don’t have exhibition venues; so many Artists want to exhibit but they lack venues to do so” he said.

Chairman off the occasion, Chief Okey Nwosu called on profession Artists and Sculptors to market their works by showcasing them to the world.

Nwosu said there were lots of opportunities in the field which could be used to promote values and create economic gains for practitioners.