Re-painting people’s perceptions of visual arts

Every Tuesday evening for the last two years, art students and enthusiasts at Maseno University converge at the school compound for #ArtisticTuesday. There, they display different types of visual arts, critique the art pieces on display, and exchange ideas.

ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES

 #ArtisticTuesday is the brainchild of Grace Mumbua, 21, who enrolled at the institution in 2017 to study a Bachelor of Arts degree.

“When I joined the university, courses involving visual arts were not popular. Many students were not proud of the course. Visual arts courses, when compared to others such as engineering, or medicine, were not valued, so I decided to do something to change this,” she says.

Visual art is art that is experienced primarily through the sense of sight. It includes artistic disciplines such as fine art and decorative art. Back in secondary school, Grace was the point person when other students wanted calligraphy services, a skill she learnt from her older brother.

However, she confesses that she had no plans of studying visual arts until she received the calling letter to pursue the course in Maseno.

“My first choice was Interior Design. I enjoyed drawing and calligraphy, but I had not thought of building a career around art. Looking back, however, I am glad I agreed to take the course.

“When I founded #ArtisticTuesday, I discovered that there were many university students who were talented in arts, but had no platform to showcase their work.

“Now, #ArtisticTuesday is not just limited to art students. We are open even to those who practice art as a hobby,” she offers.

ENCOURAGE AND INSPIRE

In 2017, Grace organised an exhibition at the campus grounds together with some classmates. Her father funded it and almost 100 students showed up to exhibit their work.

“That was a profound moment for me. I realised that most young people just need someone to encourage and inspire them to explore their talents. I decided to start visiting schools around the university to motivate other students who were interested in art,” she says.

Grace now runs Kelly Visual Arts, a company she registered last year. Through it, and with five other visual arts students, Grace visits primary and secondary schools in Nairobi and around Maseno University to mentor talented students.

“So far we have visited 13 schools in Nairobi, Kisumu and Maseno. When we meet a student interested in pursuing arts either as a career or as a hobby, we meet them at least twice a month to nurture their talent.

“Currently, I am training 10 students. Occasionally, I get invitations to speak to the youth on various platforms,” she says.

Grace’s works of art include paintings, calligraphy, portraits and abstracts. 

DESERVES RESPECT

To finance the mentorship programmes and other logistics associated with #ArtisticTuesday, she makes and sells art pieces during her free time. She uses part of the money to buy the required art equipment.

“My father has been very supportive. He believes in my mission to have art get the recognition and respect it deserves in schools. He is always willing to help me financially. It’s a little different with my mother. Initially, she kept wondering why I was training and mentoring other students for free. Now, she is slowly beginning to appreciate what I do,” she says.

By training other learners and exchanging ideas with fellow artists, Grace has honed her skills, and is looking forward to building a career in the Arts.

“I am planning to set up an arts centre near our home, where students can come and receive mentorship during school holidays. I think it will be a good platform for them to exchange ideas and improve their artistic skills,” she says and adds: “As a student of art, I look forward to a day when our courses will be given as much appreciation as others such as engineering. This field requires a lot of creativity, hard work and commitment. It deserves more respect.”