In a bold and visionary move aimed at safeguarding and elevating African art, and preventing the extinction of Africa’s rich cultural heritage, Fobally Art World Africa is pioneering a four-day Easter Arts Festival, where 500 artists from across Africa will exhibit their works for the benefits of art lovers, patrons and other participants. Fobally Art World Africa said it is making substantial investments to ensure that African arts does not only thrive but gets global recognition to encourage artists to continue their creative pursuits.

At a press briefing recently, the Managing & Creative Director of Fobally Art World Africa, Mrs. Folashade Abiola, the President of WASCA, Mr. Larry Segun Lean, the Director, Marketing & Communications of LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited, Mr. Oluremi Akande, and the Chief Technology Officer and IT Director of Fobally Art World Africa, Chichi Michael, laid out plans designed to make the festival an enjoyable one for patrons, participants and visitors.

Abiola described Fobally Art World Africa as a platform for promoting African art and artists and advocating for sustainability in the African arts, saying, “We are in the business of ensuring that African art does not face extinction. As an organization, we are investing in ensuring that African arts continue to thrive and gain global recognition. We aim to encourage African artists to persist in their creative pursuits, and we call on different institutions and the government to collaborate with us in sustaining African art.

“Promoting African art globally begins at home. We aim to raise awareness of visual art within Nigeria, breaking the misconception that art is only for the affluent. Our goal this Easter is to make African art accessible to every Nigerian. Families can visit the carnival to appreciate the artworks and witness their affordability.

“In our pursuit of promoting African artists, hosting 500 artists is an audacious step. Achieving this now sets the stage for further endeavours. This aligns with our vision, mission, and corporate philosophy, underscoring our full commitment to this endeavour.”

Lean addressed the Easter art festival, and said, “Fobally reached out to us, expressing their desire to organize a four-day Easter art festival in 2024. They aim to unite 500 artists to present their works from March 29 to April 1. I’m here to back the artists and urge them to join this ground breaking initiative.

“I perceive Fobally Art Gallery as a trailblazer in African art. Organizing over 500 artists from across the continent is commendable, and I wholeheartedly encourage other galleries to follow suit. The owners’ guts, courage, and ingenuity in uniting these artists for a four-day event, especially during the upcoming Easter celebration, are truly impressive. I see this as a positive development for Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, with the highest population of black people. With young men from Europe potentially joining, the four-day Easter art carnival seems promising. Personally, I am eager to be a part of it, and that’s why Fobally Art Gallery invited me to participate.”

While speaking on plans to leverage on marketing strategies to create awareness and generate interest in the festival, Akande said, “For us at Lapo, a development-focused microfinance bank, the event is a veritable platform for youth empowerment and it aligns perfectly with LAPO Microfinance Bank’s social impact vision for youth empowerment. Over the years the creative economy has proven to be a potential revenue earner impacting the GPD. The bank shall deploy pre-event, event, and post-event communications in reputable news platforms to create awareness and promote the essence of the event among players in the finance and microfinance subsector.”

Toyota By CFAO Nigeria Invites Kids To Participate In Dream Car Art Contest
A FIRM, Toyota by CFAO Nigeria, has invited kids to participate in its 17th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.

From January 16 to February 16, 2024, the firm is organising the art contest for children from all over the globe to share ideas about the future of mobility by drawing their dream cars.

A statement by the Managing Director, Toyota by CFAO Nigeria, Boye Ajayi, reads:
“Every great idea was born in the glimmer of a dream, and we at Toyota hope that this activity will help nurture the creativity of the next generation of great inventors, thinkers, and dreamers.

“The contest is comprised of the National Contest and the World Contest. The “National Contest” began from August 2023 to March 2024. Winners of this contest will be entered as representatives of their own country into the “World Contest,” to be held in Japan.
Since 2004, the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest has been conducted as part of Toyota’s social contribution initiatives. In 2023 alone, there were about 780,000 entries from 90 countries.