African paintings augment new curriculum
When the Ministry of Education introduced the teaching of African history into the primary school curriculum it was never meant to be a one-dimensional effort. Today, with the opening of an exhibition of paintings at the Belize City House of Culture, that learning experience moved out of the classroom.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Children see…and then they imitate. And that?s just what proponents of the African and Maya studies project hope this exhibition will inspire in primary school children. According to Doctor Joseph Iyo of the Multicultural Studies Centre, the paintings were commissioned to support the social studies component of the African and Maya studies curriculum.
Joseph Iyo, Co-Director, Multicultural Studies Centre
?The paintings are depicting more or less different cultural aspect of Africa, especially Nigeria. But there are some of the paintings that you can see some of the activities in every part of Africa. Even though there were more specific to Nigerian paintings, you can easily see any of these activities in any other part of Africa.?
Iyo says African history is full of imagery, but a lot of the crucial material needed to complement the social studies part of the African and Mayan history curriculum was hard to come by. That is why he commissioned three artists to come up with these illustrations. Curator of the exhibition Yasser Musa says all primary school students will eventually get to see the twenty two paintings.
Yasser Musa, Director, NICH
?It starts here in Belize City at the house of culture we will then move it to other locations so that other children around the country can see it at Banquitas in Orange Walk, at the Benque House of Culture in the Garifuna museum that will be opening soon, at the George Price Centre in Belmopan. And then coming back here to the African and Indian studies library on Partridge Street. So it?s going to move around, and it?s an exhibition that is designed to give a more visual component to the African side of the African and Maya history project.?
And even though they just briefly got to see the paintings at the opening, two students of Wesley Upper School say they are already making the connection between what their teachers have been telling them and the subjects in the pictures.
Edmond Thompson, Student, Wesley Upper School
?I think about it because you can learn more about African civilizations and about their culture, how they live.?
Patrick Jones
?What specifically have these pictures taught you or what have you seen in them??
Edmond Thompson
About the African culture. How they live, how they dance and how they carry their things on their heads.?
Shanique Myles, Student, Wesley Upper School
?I see lovely stuff, like the paintings and different culture and like different colours and painting and those stuff.?
Patrick Jones
?Do you see anything in these painting that you see right here in Belize??
Shanique Myles
?Yes, like the dancing and the culture and the colours.
Patrick Jones
?Now the dancing, where have you seen this kind of dancing??
Shanique Myles
?Like Stann Creek and like Toledo and those places.?
Joseph Iyo
?Not only are they going to draw a connection with what their teachers are teaching them in the classroom, but they will also see some of the aspect here, very similar to what they see in Belize. So it will not only help them to understand that the world is so small. The things that we do here and think they are unique are done elsewhere.?
While the target audience is primary school students, Musa says anyone interested in art will find the paintings satisfying.
Yasser Musa
?The two artists are outstanding from the point of view that they are not stuck in one style of making art. But they have some very impressionistic style, some very colourful and some of them very abstract as well. Sot eh two artists have given a great understanding to this exhibit.?
Dr. Joseph Iyo
?One thing I have to note is that painting is the oldest art form in Africa. It dates back about twenty six thousand yeas ago. And so even though most of them are now using modern material, the ideas are essentially very old.?
The two artists referred to are Charles Tavershine Chen and Daniel Masefan Nyikwagh.
The exhibition will remain at the House of Culture until the end of the month before travelling to Orange Walk. At the end of the nationwide tour, the pieces will be offered for sale.
