A one week’s Art exhibition featuring work by Sculpture students was yesterday 20th July 2022 opened at the Institute of Heritage, Conservation and Restoration, Makerere Art Gallery. It will run until Tuesday 26th July 2022.
The work on display is by second year Sculpture students of the Margaret Trowell School of Fine (MTSIFA) in the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT). It was produced under the supervision of a US Fulbright Specialist and Sculptor Janet Goidner and MTSIFA staff that included Dr. Lillian Nabulime, Edward Balaba, Fidellis Nabukenya, Assoc. Prof. George Kyeyune and Assoc. Prof. rose Kirumira.
Amy Petersen, the Cultural Affairs Officer, US Embassy Uganda officiated at the opening of the exhibition featuring Sculpture from found objects and local materials. In her remarks, Amy Petersen observed that the art work exhibited depicted the high level of creativity by the individual students and the messages cut across concerns like pollution, public health, environmental protection and more which were essential for the welfare of mankind.
She said it was fascinating to note that the students were able to use everything around them to pass out messages through their art works. She said the US embassy in Uganda was proud to partner with Makerere University and the School of Fine Art in particular and it was through such partnerships, she said, that the student’s horizons could be expanded.
She informed the students and other people present that there were a number of opportunities in the US embassy citing the example of the Young Leaders Program and urged all to closely follow the developments at the embassy through their communication channels including social media in order to benefit from future opportunities.
According to Prof. George Kyeyune, the second year students came up with their work in a period of six weeks with the engagement of Janet Goidner, the Fulbright Scholar who emphasized the fact that they did not require lots of resources for art given that they were surrounded by lots of resources that could be used in art.
Jane Goidner expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with the team and the students which experience she described as enjoyable. She commended the students for the wonderful work following the concept of picking trash and coming up with art. She observed that although art materials were very expensive, there was no need to get impeded by lack of resources.
The Students, while explaining the messages in their works said they used debris and other materials collected from their surroundings to come up with beautiful artifacts and the messages aimed at making the conditions of living better.
The exhibition attracted a number of persons that included the Deputy Principal CEDAT, Dr. Venny Nakazibwe who led a team from HFBK Hamburg Germany, namely Prof. Ingo Ferdinand Offermanns, who is a professor of Graphics and Vice President as well as Mr. Eik Pockrandt, the Head of the International Office. They were at the Margaret Trowell School of Fine Art to explore opportunities for student exchanges and other programs of mutual benefit to the two Universities.
