African artists, especially those in West Africa, have been gaining prominence on the world stage for some time. Now the artists are beginning to call for their government to recognize the value of their work as spur to continued development:

Ms Marigold Akufo-Addo, renowned Ghanaian contemporary artist, on Friday called for the creation of a platform that would enable artists to contribute their quota towards the socio-economic development efforts of the country.

“Fine Art has directives and fuel for future development and it is the artists that can delve into the past and harness it with the present to create a vision for the future. So artists must be allowed to play important roles and make an impact in society” Ms Akufo-Addo said.

Ms Akufo-Addo said it was unfortunate that most of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have failed to recognize art as a development tool. Most of the countries that we look up to in the Western World have devoted resources towards the promotion of art but in Sub-Saharan Africa, art has been sidelined and the needs of artists are not satisfied” she noted. Ms Akufo-Addo advised that a forum must be created for exchange of different art forms and ideas among artists in Sub-Saharan Africa to enable them to promote their works outside the borders of their countries.

Government Asked to Recognize Fine Art as a Development Tool (Ghana News Agency)