New Conversations, art facility opens in Abuja

After nearly a decade of promoting art in Abuja, Thought Pyramid Gallery has elevated its activities to the status of Art Centre, with a group art exhibition titled New Conversation as well as a new edifice, which was recently unveiled.

Thought Pyramid Art Centre

According to Jeff Ajueshi, Creative Director at Thought Pyramid Art Gallery, the centre, which is located at Wuse II Abuja, has been designed to include a large art exhibition space, café and restaurant for those who wish to relax in an art space. pieces, "The centre is a place for lovers of art and culture to connect to cross-pollinate ideas. It is a place for new conversations and connections”.

Opening the facility with the ongoing art exhibition New Conversations, Ajueshi explained was aimed ay presenting visual dialogues between modern and contemporary Nigerian artists, living and departed. The show, he stated was conceived with  the hope of creating a shared vision of who we are as Nigerians especially as this vision is approached from different perspectives.

The recently completed Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ajueshi assured, will bring collaborations with a range of organisations to execute projects that encourage exchange of ideas and discourse. He also promised that the centre jas the potential for museum of art. "With our rich and vast collection of works from modern and contemporary African artists including Ben Enwonwu, Bruce Onabrekpeya, El Anatsui, Ablade Glover, Ben Osawe, Bisi Fakeye among several others, the Centre intends to establish the first Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Nigeria."

  

In addition to hosting exhibitions and artists-in-residency programmes, Thought Pyramid Art Centre has commenced a series of creative workshops to actively engage the Abuja populace. These workshops include art club, international language workshops, reading/writing club, and a ballet club for children, Iheanyi Onwuegbucha,  Assistant Curator/ Education coordinator  stated. “The Art Club offers young artists the opportunity to explore a broad range of artistic media and practice with experienced gallery artists and volunteers. Projects will take inspirations from Thought Pyramid Gallery Exhibitions and the works of other artists”.

Other programmes of the Centre listed include the international language workshops, which features Cooking Nights, Games and Puppet Shows, Concert/Film Nights and foreign holiday trips. The management stated activities at the centre  will add a significant dimension to understanding of foreign languages and cultures. It is structured to complement classroom studies with long-term benefits. The languages will include French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.”

Onwuegbucha mentioned “the Reading and Writing Club that presents young people the opportunity to explore their innate potential without the pressures of a classroom. The activities will include creative writing and poetry workshops as well as opportunities to publish these works”. To kick start these workshops, Thought Pyramid Art Centre had organized a free art workshop for primary and secondary schools in Abuja with prizes for the best artists.

The Centre also has a Saturday Ballet Club for children with periodic ballet concerts.