Writing on the Wall
Speaking of Africa, we've lurrved AfricanColours.net for years and have admired their attitude of being the bulwark for contemporary art on the Continent. Director Andrew Njoroge announced last week the completion of their first cooperative mural project in which they coordinated a US muralist and a group of Kenyan painters to raise the profile of contemporary art in Nairobi.
AfricanColours was instrumental in bringing Kenyan artists John Kamicha, Simon Muriithi, Faith Nancy, and Jeff Wambugu together with Boston-based muralist Alex Cook to create the cross-national project.
This project continues the site's history of support for contemporary art. "We want to be involved in building the creative community in Kenya and throughout Africa," says Marketing Director Tereneh Mosely. "Historically we have worked with local museums, galleries and cultural institutions on exhibitions, events and other activities focusing on contemporary art in Africa and we will continue to do so."
Following on the heels of the group's two murals (one at the Kabete Children's Home and a second, temporary piece on River Road), AfricanColours hopes to see more community-based projects arise from communities themselves, and not only from art institutions or artists. (But hey, we want to remind AfricanColours that artists are part of "the community," too!)