Godown Art Centre

Kenya Sun 16-10-2005

Godown Art Centre
By Emmanuel Mwendwa

For many years, the main challenge that budding Kenyan visual artists often encountered was ingrained societal apathy towards local paintings. But the stakes in the industry have been looking up for a cross section of seasoned and new artists thanks to the Godown Arts Centre, which is described as Kenyan capital, Nairobi's pluridisciplinary artistic fabric..'

Indeed, it is here that a diversity of artistic expression thrives' in a -communal- facility of sorts, which essentially facilitates a conducive environment tailored to maximize artists' creative potential.

The centre established in January 2002, comprises workshops/ exhibition space for visual artists and sculptors. The main aim for setting up the arts center was simply to create awareness and highlight the skills inherent among a wide range of unknown and accomplished artists seeking recognition in the fledging art industry.

Almost three years since inception, the centre has grown steadily and now also provides local artists with opportunities to create, display their work, interact under one roof and on their own terms.

The facility likewise offers a much-needed venue where visual art enthusiasts can experience first-hand, a stimulating and enriching variety of rare indigenous works. In addition, various initiatives have spawned forth from the visual artists' collective efforts.

Through its on-going and projected programmes, the Centre's main priority to create a flourishing art environment - is gradually bearing fruit as evidenced by a rapidly growing clientele who turn out for exhibitions that showcase local art.

So far, its major achievement is bringing together a kaleidoscope of visual artists who regularly converge at the centre to exchange ideas and exhibit artistic insights laden with impressive creativity in numerous studios set up by Kuona Trust and Ramoma Art Gallery.

These visual-arts inclined organizations are among several other corporate partners involved in the initiative funded by the Ford Foundation with the basic aim of providing a credible forum to cater for especially beginner artists. Kuona Trust runs several studios, inclusive few others reserved for visiting artists from around the world who attend the Trusts' artist-in-residency programmes.

These offer visiting artists a chance to fully explore the Kenyan art scene. The international artist-in-residency programme is intended to bring non-western contemporary artists to work together in Kenya. The residency aims to develop international exchange and communication while at the same time connecting diverse cultures to glean insights on modern art in Kenya. It's aesthetic focus is pegged on spurring art making of the highest calibre and also in reaching new audiences in Kenya with images of modern art and creativity.

To meet these goals, the residency is done in two phases: - The private art phase is based at the Godown and gives the artists six weeks working in an intensely creative atmosphere equipped with the time, tools and materials to break down barriers, to learn, to express, to reinvent themselves and their work. The last four weeks of the programme espouse the public art phase, which challenges the artists to develop public art.

Each of the visiting artists is teamed with a Kenyan artist, to develop a separate public project specifically designed to introduce art making to a new public audience. Kuona Trust, formally established in 1995 is still based at the National Museum of Kenya grounds. Over the years, it has also established a pattern of core studio activities, which combine an open community studio available for public access with periodic technical workshops to help new artists develop their talent skills.

But besides its on-going studio-oriented programmes, the trust has for almost a decade nurtured numerous parallel projects which fall within its mandate to promote, expose contemporary African art and artists to local and international audiences. As an independent organization, the trust remains flexible enough to respond dynamically to all manner of new ideas, as its networks and reputation develop in locally and beyond borders.

The trust achieves its goals by facilitating extensive training initiatives, workshops, networking, organizing public projects, regular exhibitions and spearheading policy advocacy. But its ultimate objective is to advance the skills and opportunities for artists; and transform art into a valuable e and integral part of our society.

According to Eric Mwangi, an artist based at Godown's Ramoma studios, the arts centre was godsend. 'It serves as a pressure valve of sorts owing to the diminishing space at the main Romoma museum art studios, which has lately become rather congested', he says. During the past two decades, local visual artists depended almost entirely on the various European cultural centres and councils resident in Kenya such as the British, French, German, Italian and Dutch.

These centers have previously and still, facilitate consistent exhibition opportunities for artistic development. It is perhaps regrettable, that Kenya's local and central government agencies have virtually ignored exploiting latent potential abounding in visual arts scene. But despite their commendable, invaluable assistance, foreign cultural centres are caught at a crossroads of sorts: upholding and living up to objectives of their own cultural agendas which may at one point or another conflict with local artists aspirations.

Consequently, it has not always been possible for local artists to receive continuous support that focuses on their indigenous needs. It was against this background that the need to set up an Arts Centre was born.

The Godown's subsequent establishment will no doubt, in the long term supplement the foreign cultural centres initiatives, besides providing a sustainable and Kenyan focus in artistic development. A Kenyan-oriented center is likely to also expand the scope and resources available for the use by local artists.

Among other notable corporate partners at the Godown is the Medeva Television ' a documentary and short-film production firm that is also funded by the Ford Foundation. It's main aim is to try and create TV series based on homegrown, true-life stories. The project has given rise to the popular Tazama series showing at a local channel.

Also present at the Godown Arts Centre is NairoBits, an initiative whose scope of activities is essentially targeted directly at uplifting the living standards of disadvantaged youths drawn from Nairobi's sprawling slum neighbourhoods.

The organization has so far earned credit as Kenya's only Digital Design School complete with a Web Lab wherein ambitious young people are taught and equipped with web designing skills. NairoBits, whose objectives are double-pronged - in a nutshell, seeks to narrow the digital technology gap between Africa and rest of the world by empowering and providing access to ICT education to the slum youths.

It is indisputable that the Godown marks an important phase in the lives of Kenyan artists, they can finally get a much-sought-after footing in an art scene that in the past two decades thrived on the periphery of the local performing arts industry.

Posted By: African Colours

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