It’s Official, Gallery Watatu gets new Management

Kenya Mon 17-01-2011

It’s Official, Gallery Watatu gets new Management
By AfricanColours Correspondent

The months of speculation that the management at East Africa’s famed Gallery Watatu might change hands have ended. Osei G Kofi, a long time associate of Watatu owner Adama Diawara, has been plucked to lead the revamping of the Nairobi Standard Street establishment.

As part of ongoing reorganization the top three personnel, including the accountant, have been let go, “to allow Kofi to start with a clean slate,” an insider who asked not to be named, told AfricanColours. Watatu had been facing a serious cash crunch lately. It nearly went under last year due to poor management.

Contacted by AfricanColours, Kofi, who lives in Geneva and will be moving to Kenya shortly, said he will do a complete refurbishment of the place, cut the number of the 60-odd artists listed with Watatu to “a manageable 20, at most” and will invest time and money in promotional events. “We have to find the formula to allow us to return Watatu to its illustrious past performance,” he said.

Watatu first opened its door some 44 years ago, one of the first commercial art galleries in Africa at the time. It was started by three expatriate artists to showcase their creations and to provide space for other artists among the then nascent African contemporary.

Very quickly, it became the place where most of today’s big names in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda especially, or their estates, went to fetch top dollar prices and international exposure for their work. Watatu also began a programme of internship for foreign art students researching African contemporary art.

^{New MD Osei G Kofi with 1970's founder Joni Waite and current owner Adama Diawara}

Artists associated with the gallery over the years included veterans such as Ancen Soi, Kivuthi Mbuno, Jak Katarikawe, Joel Oswaggo, Theresa Musoke, ES Tingatinga, George Lilanga, SG Mpata, Zacharia Mbutha, Billy Kaigwa, Meek Gachugu, Hans Seuren, Timothy Brooke, Sophie Walboeffe, Nadia Keseleva, Annabelle Wanjiku, Wanyu Brush and Sane Wadu.

Related Links

Gallery Watatu is Back from the Brink!

It Was More Than Chai & Mandazi at Gallery Watatu

Watatu Launches Affordable Art Week

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