The Ahanta Environmental Club (AEC), based in Busua Beach, works for the benefit of the community and with sister clubs all over Ghana. For the past several years, the AEC has collected garbage washed ashore such as toothbrushes, plastic buckets, and bottles to name a few. Kobina Nyarko, an artist and the secretary of AEC, came up with the idea of making art pieces using these wasted materials with the participation of school kids. This idea was realized as Creative Perspectives, which this year was hosted by the Black Star Surf Shop in Busua Beach on Saturday, September 12th. The goal was to bring art to the community and involve them in the creative process of art using discarded materials.
The event featured thirteen artists from Accra and seven artists from Takoradi. Activities started early in the morning with a beach cleanup to gather garbage for the art works. The FCA and AEC provided a total of seven large canvases. The artists worked together with the community to create some unique pieces united by the theme of a cleaner environment. A beach exhibition of all the finished pieces along with other artwork is being planned. The finished works will then remain in the community with the proceeds of any sales going to the AEC.
The project was funded by the European Union Cultural Initiative Support Programme. Additional support was provided by the Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA), a coalition of artists who have a shared interest in bringing art to the general public so they can see not only the finished art but also the artistic process. Media coverage was provided by Skyy Power FM, SkyyTV, Goodnews FM and Help FM. Additional local support was provided by the African Rainbow Hotel and the Busua Inn. Drinks were donated by Aboyi Olokpo of Schlumberger based in Accra. Brushes were provided by Nick Shardlow of the U.K.
Photos: Nick Pink
