Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture or producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. But what if you find it difficult to make a living from it?
Now in its second year, the Namibia Arts Fair is a festival that is set to take place on Saturday 28 September at the Goethe-Institut. The Namibia Arts Fair is one such that focuses on connecting over 50 local and African artists with an audience, organizations as well as art buyers to exhibit and sell their work. The event aims to reinforce the value and importance of Namibian Artists as well as to monetize the art in order to create a Sustainable Creative Economy for the artists in Namibia.
According to the Festival Director, Samuel Matengu, this event will also engage both local and international artists to find new avenues for the exposure and sales of their work.
“There are also numerous networking opportunities and collaborations possible, and artists are encouraged to create their own mini-events and exhibitions within their display spaces. The theme for this year is ‘The African Art Experience’, not only is it because the Namibia Arts Fair is opening up this platform to artists from across Africa, but also because African art was seldom used for decorative purposes, but rather to give life to the values, emotions and daily customs of the various ethnic groups throughout the continent. African art and culture, in many instances, deals with making sense out of the world,” Matengu said.
Besides having exhibiting artists, the day will be jam-packed with fun-filled activities to look forward to as well as the food market and live performances, by the Namibian Youth Orchestra, Soul Matrix as well as the headlining act, Slickartie. There will also be a screening of Namibian films for free.
“The art fair is committed to nurturing the Namibian child and this year there will be The Art Fair’s school tours, which aim to engage students in inquiry-based experiences with art that strengthen curriculum connections and develop visual literacy skills,” Matengu said.
He added that the tours support the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) Arts Syllabus, the school tours are led by trained Art Educators and last for 60 minutes.
More exciting news will be revealed as the 28 September approaches! Also, look out for the Namibia Arts Fair Activation team near you. Entrance to the Namibia Arts Fair will cost N$40 and is free for children 0-10 (that are accompanied by an adult).
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