Art Worlds in Ghana

I’ve told you plenty about our program for Nima: Muhinmanchi Art, but not so much about our artist coordinators, Yussif Aminu Larry and Musah Swallah. As we work behind-the-scenes on organizing the second annual Nima: Muhinmanchi Art, let me tell you a bit about our coordinators and their impressive work.

They are two of the most dedicated, generous, and proactive people I have ever met…from their tireless work arranging for supplies, running workshops, and building a team; to always accompanying me on the twenty minute walk to the tro-tro car home; to insisting on buying my mango when I was in their home turf…to their current efforts at planning for our next program amidst all their school and professional work. Which is not even to mention their beautiful and innovative artwork. Read on, check out the Facebook album, and LIKE Nima: Muhinmanchi Art, facebook.com/nimaart.gh. Tell us what you think on the Facebook page!

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The site’s been ready for ages, www.wizkudowor.com, but I finally got some technical glitches sorted (thanks to Jenn and Sebastianna from Haverford’s Communications for help along the way).

Now feast your eyes. Wiz paints ephemeral faces, figures, and abstract shapes with just a foam roller and palette knife to sharpen the edges. Look closely and you’ll see layer upon layer reveal itself. Enjoy.

And while you’re at it, take a look back at Larry’s site (my Ghanaian dad), www.larryotoo.com. His vibrant, abstract paintings capture the rhythm and beat of daily life in Ghana, from sassy market ladies to slick jazz scenes to compositions of adinkra fertility symbols. Larry is known for his use of color, but recently he’s been painting in gray palettes with streaks of gold or bronze. Like his Facebook page, will ya? With seven more fans he can be a real “celeb.”

Album’s right here. Facebook page is up too, don’t forget to “like” it!

A huge thanks to Alex Akuffo Productions and Bank.foto for the photos (which has its own album from the event here…and some great captions).

Kamal, Musah, and another Nima artist

Btw I’m home safe, everyone. And happy to see friends and family, but missing Ghana already… Going to try to get some Ghana-in-New York at hip life rapper Sarkodie’s first New York concert next weekend, though. Anyone wanna come with??

Last night I dragged a friend to hip life artist D-Black’s send-off party in Harlem. All the great music, almost felt like Ghana again. And finally met Hashim from Boogie Down Nima in person, who connected us with V.I.P. (friend of Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, who came to Haverford last fall to show his film Homegrown: Hip Life in Ghana).

In the meantime, working on making Nima: Muhinmanchi Art an annual event. In touch with lots of media stations, working on proposals…

P.S. Apologies for the blog-absence (blog-sence? blog-a-sence?) toward the end of my time in Ghana. So busy had noo time for internet cafes.

Just got back from Nima: Muhinmanchi Art. I could hardly be happier, I was smiling the whole day. It may have been a bit crazy and crowded (Nima kids are a handful), but the art was amazing, the murals were so so beautiful, and man, the place was packed.

I’m touched by the kindness and support we received — from David, the manager at Paloma Restaurant who drove over half the food packages when our car was too full; to Jane, a waitress who’d helped me with directions last week, and actually came to the event; to Alex Akuffo, our photographer who got married YESTerday but came anyway; to my Ghanaian family the Otoos (they all came to “dangerous” Nima, even the kids); to my professor Jesse Shipley, the only one to be at my Ghana arts events both here and at Haverford (Intersecting Zones in December); to Panji, a hip life music producer I thought might be too busy to come, but ended up staying the whole day and said he’d be behind making this program an annual event. That’s not even the half of it, I can’t begin to thank the artists, students, sponsors, community leaders, and friends who came together today. I’m so lucky to have had Larry and Musah as partners, and Kelvin as my boss. K I’ll stop, sorry for getting sentimental guys.

Now they’re talking about V.I.P. and their new single on the radio. I feel pretty proud to have had them at our event. It was Prodigal’s birthday Thursday btw, happy birthday Prodigal (one of the three members).

Will post pictures later. Mom and Dad, hope you’re ready for all the paintings I bought.

P.S. Our IndieGogo fundraising site shuts down today, but if anyone wants to donate directly…we went a lettle bit over budget. Contact me.

So many rounds to do promoting the event, going to various TV and radio stations, dropping off posters at embassies and establishments, picking up art supplies, etc. People have been amazingly supportive, and  it looks like we’ll be getting plenty of news coverage. ‘Sgonna be big!

K, here are some photos from today’s meeting at the 441 school to figure out the mural. We met with everrryone working on the mural, not just the four leading workshops (Larry, Musah, Attukwei, Sharif) or the two guiding us (Mozzay and Shamoun, the established Nima artist teachers who are serving as our mentors/directors). The artists are designing the mural, and they’ll guide the students in painting it.

There's Shamoun and Mozzay in white at the back left. Musah's next to them in the hat, with Kamal, another artist pal I've been hearing about from Musah and finally got to meet. Mozzay and Shamoun taught all the young guys who are now working on the project. You can feel the respect when they walk into the room.

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