The New Face Of National Museums Of Kenya

Kenya Mon 29-01-2007

The New Face Of National Museums Of Kenya
By Maggie Otieno

Dubbed "Museum in change", the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) HQ in Nairobi recently invited its stake holders for a meeting to discuss the New Face of Museum (FOM). Change at NMK has been in discussion for the past 10 years. Its doors having been closed since October 2005, the museum has been under a transformation with plans for completion in July 2007.

Among many of its board discussions has been the need to give the Museum a new outlook and identity as it opens up this July. Of great importance is the need for public programmes to offer exhibition space and impart a visual appeal to the new face and in turn brand the museum and set it apart from other museums elsewhere.

The stakeholders attending the discussions were the French Cultural Center, Goethe Ins, RaMoMA, AfricanColours, the Godown Arts Center, Paa ya Paa gallery and African Heritage. Their expertise in different disciplines of art were called in to help in giving the museum a new face.

Some of the topics on discussions addressed the following issues:
• How to get a truly Kenyan Identity
• How to evoke a sense of National Pride
• How to educate by using art, based on the three pillars of the institution, culture, history and nature.

The spaces for the display of artworks were numerous and included the commissioning of sculptures 3D and 2D as well as murals. The areas visited by the delegates were the proposed gallery spaces, rear and front entrances to the building, children theater, interior and exterior link to the premises, proposed restaurant etc.

The stakeholders had certain deliberations into commissioning works of art to specific artists. This specification only applied to those key areas of entry to the museum as work will need to start immediately.

In other areas, it was concluded that the museum executive board members will advertise an open proposal nationwide to all artists interested in commissioned work to apply. The stakeholders meeting was a forum of like-minded individuals with a mission to promote Kenyan artists and art into a level of international appreciation and recognition, and what better way than in a National setting and institution such as the National Museum.

AfricanColours is happy to be associated with the museum in change as we look forward to ‘creating new markets for African Art’

Posted By: African Colours

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