By Tajudeen Sowole
The institute is a
continuation of an earlier project of her parents, Mbari Art established in
1970 for promoting cultural exchange, via
collecting works from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Richard and Jean were American cultural
officers in Nigeria during the 1960s.
Since she left Nigeria in
1969, Wolford did not return until his visit few weeks ago courtesy of a US Department of State Speaker Travelling Program.
More importantly, the
visitor, with the aid of Layiwols visited Institute of African Studies
University of Ibadan. (U.I). The U.I. visit was significant, given the fact
that the whole concept of Mbari Mbayo
germinated there { then University College, Ibadan} after it was started in the
eastern part of the country as Mbari
{recreation centre) in igbo language.
It wii be recalled that renowned German linguist and teacher, Late Uli Beier had started the Mbari workshop from eastern Nigeria. But when he brought the idea to Osogbo, western Nigeria, it changed to Mbari Mbayo. The change, according to Onobrakpeya, was important for acceptability among the Yoruba.
About 50 years of art
appreciation-seed sowed in Nigeria and blossomed in the U.S. has been revisited
when artists and connoisseurs hosted American art teacher, Mimi Wolford in
Lagos and Ibadan.
During one of her schedules in Lagos hosted by master printmaker,
Dr Bruce Onobrakpeya, Wolford disclosed that the promotion of Nigerian and
African art in general, started by her parents Richard and Jean Kennedy
Wolford, has been taken to higher level in the U.S. courtesy of her initiative Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art (MCAA), Washington DC, U.S.
The institute, Wolford
hoped, will be a museum, as it has volumes of collection of works of Nigerian
and other African artists, spanning over 50 years. Some of the works, she
stated, were the early collections by her parents during Richard’s foreign service in Nigeria.
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Visiting founder of Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art (MCAA), Washington DC, U.S Mimi Wolford during a workshop at University of Lagos {Unilag}. |
Ahead of her visit to Onobrakpeya’s Gallery
and Studio, Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos State, Wolford was a special a guest at a three-day event at
Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos, including workshops and Art
Talk courtesy of Dr Peju Layiwola. She was also
a guest speaker at a lecture organized by Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos.
It wii be recalled that renowned German linguist and teacher, Late Uli Beier had started the Mbari workshop from eastern Nigeria. But when he brought the idea to Osogbo, western Nigeria, it changed to Mbari Mbayo. The change, according to Onobrakpeya, was important for acceptability among the Yoruba.
And as Mbari became popular among creative
professionals across informal and formal settings, spreading to Lagos, Richard
and Jean appeared to have keyed in and formed Mbari Art. Taking it from where
her parents left over 40 years ago, Wolford established MICAA. What exactly is
the attachment to ‘Mbari’, even 40 years after?. “The name means so much to
me,” she disclosed. It’s a name synonymous with good, of which art represent,
Wolford enthused and explained: “Mbari Mbayo means ‘I see and I am happy’.
Over 40 years after she
left Nigeria, the spirit of Mbari
continued, and it’s like she never missed anything. Reason: at MICAA, she has
been receiving quite a lot of Nigerian artists, and also exhibited others. The
Mbari institute, she said also organises cultural events such as drama and
gender specific art exhibitions “to celebrate African female artists”.
A not-for profit
organization, MICAA, according to Wolford is solely financed “out of my pocket”
from earning as a teacher at Georgetown Day School.
Since Wolford
founded MICAA, about quite a lot of art exhibitions have been organized for
African artists, featuring Moroccan Hamid
Kachmar, Kenyan Sane Wadu, Senegalese, Rackie Dianka and Abdoulaye
Ndoye; Nigerians Twins Seven Seven, Jimoh Buraimoh and Bruce
Onobrakpeya Isaac Ojo, Peju
Layiwola, Yinka Adeyemi and Wole Lagunju; Ugandan Sanaa
Gateja; Togolese Bethel Aniaku
and Mozambican Valente Malangatana.
One of the artists who benefitted from the MICAA
exhibitions, Layiwola, recalled how she met Wolford about ten years ago and was
privileged to exhibit in the U.S and South Africa. Layiwola added that she had
a talk on her solo art exhibition Benin1897.com:
Art and the Restitution Question, held “early this year, MICAA. “Her
Institute plays hosts to several African artists from the continent”.
And still collecting more
works, the ultimate goal of MICAA, Wolford assured “is to keep the collection
as safe as possible,” and perhaps in the future, it could turn into a big
modern museum of contemporary African art if the necessary funding is
available.
Among several achievements
of her parents in promoting African art is a book by Jean, New
Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Art in a Generation of Change,
(Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992). “My mother died in 1991; she never lived
to see the book published”.
And having
felt the pulse of Nigerian art – with her return to the country – about 22
years after the book was published, Wolford could not hide her joy on what she
argued as impressive growth of Nigerian art. “I am so happy to see that
Nigerian art has grown; so many art galleries everywhere”.
Onobrakpeya
recalled how Richard and Jean spurred the growth of art patronage in Nigeria.
The couple, he explained “used to organise what was known then as ‘Thursday art
shows’ inside their residence where artists come and display their works for
visitors to appreciate”. The weekly salon exhibitions, he disclosed were the
first experience he had in art patronage and appreciation “where visitors buy
works of artists”. He said the salon shows “encouraged some of us to conclude that
we can live on our art”. Prior to that, it was common for young artists to look
forward to teaching in school after graduation, Onibrakpeya said.
Still on the Mbari spirit,
Wolford’s visit to Ibadan wing of her schedules included the popular Aso-oke market in Oje, Mapo Hall, among
several other places of nostalgic relevance. Others included visits to Chapel
of the Resurrection where the carving of Ben Enwonwu titled the Risen Christ done in 1954 was still
standing; sculptures of Susanne Wenger created in her honour at the Institute
the Institute of African Studies, UI; and Women and Youth Art Foundation.
Mimi’s parents were known to have been
apprentices under renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. One of the couple’s work, a house in Southern
California “is now a historic location in Highland Park, Los
Angeles.”
Richard joined the U.S. Department of State
and was later, in 1961, transferred to Nigeria where the Wolford family lived
for seven years.
In
Lagos, the Wolfords got involved with the local artists, particularly the
Osogbo groups, organizing weekly art exhibitions every Thursday.
Aside Osogbo artists, the couple also worked
with Onobrakpeya, “developing a deep-etching technique”, of which the latter is
renowned till date.
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