Kuona Trust Gets a Boost

Kenya Tue 15-02-2011

Kuona Trust Gets a Boost
By AfricanColours.com

A select group of 50 aficionados among over 200 patrons paid Ksh 20,000 ($250) each for 50 lottery tickets, with each ticket paired with an artwork donated by a resident artist. The artworks ranged from “so-so,” to “sunny and bright,” “fresh and promising,” and “utterly stunning.” Some patrons were lucky to take home works by Gakunju Kaigwa, Justus Kyalo, Sane Wadu, Michael Soi, Beatrice Wanjiku, Yasir Ali, Joseph Cartoon - among others.

Image Courtesy of Gina Din PR

Some winners donated their prize for an impromptu, robust auction, helping boost cash raised during the evening to Ksh 2,060,000. The guest of honour, London-based art collector and patron Robert Devereux, was one of those who donated their prize for the auction. Group MD of Star newspaper, Patrick Quarcoo, won one of the sunny and bright artworks.

Image Courtesy of Gina Din PR

Kenya’s premier mobile phone operator Safaricom didn’t only sponsor the event, its CEO and senior managers turned up to finger lick the bittings and jiggy jig with everyone to the tunes of Eric Wainaina and his band.

“Little did we expect such a tremendous response when the artists and I first decided to go for this novel way of raising funds,” Kuona Trust’s director Danda Jaroljmek goshed and gushed as she worked the crowd, her radiant smiles infecting everyone around.

Image Courtesy of Gina Din PR

The cash raised will go into upgrading the artists’ studios and providing an exhibition space. According to reliable sources Robert Devereux has pledged to top up the funds raised to allow Kuona’s structural plans to see the light of day.

Image Courtesy of Gina Din PR

Devereux also visited Gallery Watatu for talks with the new management team of the famed Standard Street establishment now headed Osei G Kofi, the Geneva based contemporary African art dealer and consultant.

Posted By: Diana Achieng

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