This is the cream of the country-Kgathi

| Friday July 16, 2010 00:00

 

Kgathi, opening the exhibition, said  it is the product  of 11 regional exhibitions held around the country since April this year. The exhibition will run till August 29.  According to the Minister, this would allow  everybody  ample time to feat their eyes on the fantastic works of art on display and also to make purchases.  'The regional exhibitions ensured that only  the cream of the produce this year reaches the national level,' Kgathi said.

The Minister also told his audience that  Government has entered into a covenant with the artists with a view to empower them to become even better entrepreneurs.

Kgathi also says  the initiative on the establishment of the Arts and Crafts Regional Purchasing Centres is at the stage  of infancy, adding that it is aimed at creating opportunities for the marketing of art products and services.He said  a pilot project in Tsabong is expected to be operational before the end of the year.

Kgathi says recently his Ministry put up  two stalls for Botswana artists to exhibit and sell their  artworks at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in collaboration with the Botswana  High Commission in Pretoria.  He said the stalls were mounted  in Johannesburg and Polokwane, while government footed the bills for  transport costs, logistical support and the upkeep of the team that manned the stalls in South Africa.

Commenting at the event one of the judges of the works Mr Bone Dichaba urged the Department of Arts and culture  to consider using exhibitions of this nature  as a reflective exercise that will help improve the status of various forms of crafts in the country.  'An example could be mounting workshops that encourage upcoming artists to use current practices and designs as leap to new innovations,' he said.  Dichaba added that one example is under wood curving where innovative designs incorporating/combining creativity with  functionality have been designed with  a handle and lid-here the application being  that the artist considered the multiple uses of the container such as stamping and storage,' Dichaba added.