Art For Students

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Staff Writer | Monday June 17, 2013 00:00

Guest speaker at the Kweneng Art Teachers Association (KWATA) exhibition held at Kgosi Sechele museum in Molepolole on Saturday, Rajesh Ittan said that winning students should be given valuable prizes so that they would be motivated to do better in the subject.'Art is a God given and rare talent.If accorded the necessary support the students who are not academically gifted can do very well in art and they can grow into independent artists and even create employment for others,' Ittan said.

Ittan who is also director of Kalahari Art Supplies also noted that indeed art forms an important part of Botswana culture and that it was crucial to recognise and appreciate this rare talent.He assured KWATA that his company which has been a stakeholder in the development of art in the country supplying materials to schools and individuals, will always be willing to sponsor the arts.'It is common knowledge that government encourages and supports the arts through initiatives such as the President's Day Celebration art competitions.  The department of arts and culture has also shown their support for the arts by sponsoring exhibitions and giving artists, especially young ones, a platform to showcase their talents.  We all therefore need to be involved in nurturing this rare talent,' Ittan said.

He said such exhibitions offered students an opportunity to compete with their peers from other schools in the region as well as affording them a chance to learn from each other hence such interaction was very important.  Ittan called for winning students in such competitions to be given valuable prizes even in the form of money which he said would motivate them to take the subject seriously and improve on their skill.The exhibition pitted secondary schools from the Kweneng district against each other.

Divided into two categories, the fair pitted Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School against Kgari Sechele in Molepolole while in the Junior category various schools from across the district submitted their works for the competition.The organisers however, expressed concern about the failure to participate by most schools in Molepolole.The winners were awarded trophies for their efforts.