Two young artists out of the five who were selected to participate in an Art Contest in Los Angeles, California, in the USA have emerged winners.
They are Priscilla Bengha and Akram Awudu, both 13-years-old class 6 pupils of the Atasemanso Roman Catholic Primary School.
Each of the winners received a $100 gift from Noahs Ark Publishing Service, which published the artwork of the winners in a book: “Kids draw Through COVID-19: United Africa Speaks.”
The other three contestants are Class 4 pupil Blessing Anane, 14, also of the Atasemanso R/C Primary School; 13-year-old Daniel Boadi of the State Experimental Basic 2 Junior High School (JHS) 1, and Clifford Agyei Amponsah, 11-year-old Class 5 pupil of the Atasemanso Roman Catholic School.
A representative of Noah’s Ark Publishing Service, Carolyn Billups, has expressed appreciation in writing to the contestants for sharing their stories through art.
All the five contestants, who participated in the Los Angeles Art contest, will be presented with a Tablet each by the BTAC Executive Director, Madam Dawn Sunderland, to enhance their studies.
The contestants were taken through their art lessons by Teacher Wingman Isaac Lawrence during the Creative Arts Summer Learning and Mentorship International Training Programme put together in Kumasi last August by Yrneh Gabon Brown of the Artivist Project and Kumasi-based Madam Dawn M. Sunderland of the Bridge-to-Africa Connection Incorporated.
Bridge-To-Africa Connection Inc. is a USA nonprofit organisation dedicated to investing in education and health initiatives to empower children and women in Africa, while the Artivist Project is an art project established in the USA by internationally-renowned artist Yrneh Gabon Brown, who partners like-minded organisations to help nurture the dreams of others to come into reality through hard work and mentorship to make the world a better place.
Yrneh Gabon Brown is a new genre Jamaican-born visual artist and media artist whose work deals with sustainable environmental issues in a socio-political and historical context.
He works in a variety of media, including metal, clay, paint, wood, video and performance. His work is informed by his socio-political concerns.
About 113 children, between 10 and 17 years, were selected out of 200 who went for an audition to realise their dreams through their talents in art, under the theme: “Bloom where you grow,” at the four-week Creative Arts Learning Summer and Talent Mentorship Training, which preceded the first-ever Akatamanso Arts Festival in September this year.
Madam Dawn Sunderland, Executive Director of Bridge-To-Africa Connection, noted that there are a lot of talents in Ghana which need to be exploited. “We have talented children in the Ashanti Region, and we must really encourage our children to bloom where they grow,” she said.
She said some of these children were borderline academically and excellent in their studies, hence the need to encourage the children to improve on their talent so that they could develop.
The philanthropist disclosed that those who had completed the programme would further be mentored to grow and develop their talents, and urged parents to encourage their children to develop their skills in art, since it could serve as a source of income and raise standards and livelihoods.
She also urged parents to help their wards to identify and develop their talents and thereby empower them to make a difference in society.
Madam Sutherland has announced that the second edition of the Creative Arts Summer Learning and Mentorship International Training Programme would be organised during the school break in August next year.
