El Status
Independent Platform for Contemporary Puerto Rican Art  presents...
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MERCADO AFRICANO


Buy art and crafts by artists from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

THE FOLLOWING IS THE DESCRIPTION OF A PROGRAM WHICH CAN BE ACTIVATED AS SOON AS THERE ARE ARTISTS INTERESTED IN TRAVELLING TO AFRICA!

ABOUT DEEP EAST AFRICA
Deep East Africa (DEA) is a group of artists that meet in the heart of Nakuru to do art and promote contemporary art from local, national and international artists for the benefit of the local, national and international public.

The group consists of more than 40 upcoming artists from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who wish to restore the perception of East African culture. The artists mainly work with paper, clay, wood, fabrics, walls, pens, music and whatever else is available. They do not distinguish between art and craft and between profesional and amateur.

Established in 2007, DEA - in partnership with art individuals and friends - has since been organizing bi-monthly exhibitions in local schools, community centers and in hotels where works could be sold to tourists. Some of Nakuru's most exciting yet under-recognized emerging artists were thereby featured in solo and group shows.

Challenges for Nakuru artists:

  • Limited and controlled market: The market is dominated by brokers and agents who are not mindful of the creativity but try to take advantage of what sells and exploit inexperienced artists.
  • Lack of financial resources to market their art.
  • Lack of government will and donor community to sponsor emerging artists.
  • Limited global network of art(ist) friends.
  • Low perception by public towards the artists and their work. I.e people think great artists are on drugs most of the time.

Opportunities in Nakuru:

  • Each day DEA artists produce unique artworks.
  • The energy in the group is amazing. They are "dedicated to the bitter end".
  • Surrounded by the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru and Nakuru National Park, local and visiting artists can get inspired by natural creativity and nature's company whenever one is lonely or lacking ideas.
  • There seems to be a good market for East African art, especially in the UK. Through networking, three artists from the Deep East Africa group have managed to find a market for their work.


Nakuru and Lake Nakuru

ABOUT NAKURU
Wikipedia

ABOUT KENYA
Government of Kenya
Wikipedia: English | Spanish | French
CIA World Fact Book

EAST AFRICAN ART
Video about women artists project | art platform


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Works from DEA artists: 1 and 2 by George Monyaru, 3 by George Muhoho, 4 by Peter Ngugi Njuguna, 5 and 6 by Ruth Boyani | Click for larger images (all in one pdf).


Click for more arts & crafts by DEA artists...

Nakuru Residency for Caribbean Artists
Visual Arts Residency Program in Kenya,
Barack Obama's fatherland

Caribbean artists are invited to spend 2 weeks to 2 months in Nakuru, Kenya's forth largest city. Come and get to know the people and culture, appreciate the beauty of nature and explore the local arts.

After getting acquainted with your host city and meeting with the local artists from Deep East Africa (see details in the right column) you will be provided with an art studio where you can develop your project.

As part of the program you will be asked to give workshops or lectures to local artists, art students, children or elderly people - depending on your concerns, topics or qualifications. These meetings will take place in the studio, at the University, in the Nakuru Theater or on field trips.

At the end of your stay you will be able to exhibit your art in Kenya. The art works can then be donated to or for the benefit of local cultural and educational institutions or taken home by the artist.

This program is open to artists of all medias, for example painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, performance, installation, sound art, printing, textile art or mixed media but a professional infrastructure for certain medias can not be guaranteed (video, electronic art).

Kiswahili and English being the official languages in Kenya, the artists must be fluent in English or bring interpreters at their own cost. Travel expenses and housing must be covered by the artists. But we can offer a brand new studio (approx. $ 500/week) in which up to five artists can stay and work. The program provides a personal pick up service from the Nairobi airport, access to inexpensive meals and internet and phone access in the new Nakuru studio.

As an artist you can be established or emerging but we expect you to have at least 5 years of experience as a dedicated artist and some teaching experience. For art students, the minimum age is 21. Ideally there will always be two or more Caribbean (or other foreign) artists at the same time or overlapping in the residency program.

Artists who would like to apply are asked to submit their curriculum as well as some images of recent art works to Lisa Ladner, founder of el-status.com and Caribbean coordinator of this program. Artists who fit the requirements will then be asked to send a proposal including a project idea and information about what attracts them to go to Nakuru and what they hope to learn, share and teach there. They are also requested to chose their lengh of stay and prefered dates. These proposals will be forwarded to Joseph Nyaisa, the Kenyan coordinator. The final decisions will be taken by the artist group DEA. There are no deadlines, the proposals can be sent in continuously.

Over time we hope, that Kenyan artists will get a chance to do a residency and/or an exhibition in the Caribbean, too - be it through private or institutional initiatives.

Jambo, Greetings and Saludos,

Lisa Ladner, Joseph Nyaisa and George Monyaru
Initiators and coordinators
of Nakuru Residency for Caribbean Artists



Lisa Ladner
co-organizer, based in Zurich, Switzerland and San Juan, Puerto Rico

Joseph Nyaisa
Kenya based co-organizer of the show
(with son Arroyo)
George Monyaru (image coming soon) is the DEA Operations Manager. He graduated from Kenyatta University in Kenya in 1999 with a Business Administration degree, later did MBA at the University of Nairobi. A natural IT expert and art lover, he currently works almost fully time in running DEA operations. George serves in a numerous cultural and arts boards, actively organizes artists shows and women talents exhibitions in Nakuru and Nairobi. He has actively participated in leadership and personal development programs and presently works in a marketing board together with Joseph Nyaisa (Leadership Training Associates), a national boutique that is planning to work with Dr. Mike Armour's events across East Africa.
Deep East Africa (DEA) artists have one thing in common: they are trying to establish themselves on the local and international market, are below the age of 35 and still live with their parents. Most of them have kids and depend on selling art to earn a living.

They normally meet in Nakuru National Theatre to practice, strategize and see what to put into the world. They help each other to get the materials needed to produce works.

Some of the DEA artists are not well educated, but about then of them are university graduates. They do art because they want to inspire the next generation, because it makes them happy and because it helps to put food on the table.

Deep East Africa has members from all community tribes i.e Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo and Kalenjin and they love that diversity.

Text based on a letter from former DEA chairwoman Ruth Boyani who passed away in March 2010.



Inquiries (Subject: Nakuru)





Another project by El Status - www.el-status.com (c) Lisa Ladner