A painting by South African artist Helen Sebidi. Photo by Güliz Özbek and Stephanie Veldman
We must create and foster a more sustainable and thriving art sector, which will benefit artists and cultural institutions and also contribute to economic growth, cultural tourism and foster an appreciation of Africa’s creative contributions to the world. Museums, galleries, and other physical locations for art matter so much because they act as hubs to inspire artists and empower them with the right tools to create next-generation art and spur Africa’s development.
African art has too often either been hoarded outside our borders or under-appreciated by our domestic market, but we have an opportunity to change this trajectory. We must curate a new generation of prominent art museums that can support and house one of Africa’s most significant and thriving industries.
A further example demonstrating how small donations at a local level can support the growth of the creative sector and empower African artists to have control over the narrative of the continent, is a recent partnership launched by Dr Yaya Moussa, founder and president of the Africa Prime Initiative, a platform dedicated to celebrating Africa’s talent and successes.