05 Mar 2014

The department of youth, art and culture hosted an art activity day to promote local products recently in Molepolole.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kawina Kawina, curator at Kgosi Sechele Museum said they found it imperative come up with such an activity to give visual artists an opportunity to showcase their products as well as to educate the public about visual arts.

He said artists were drawn from villages in the Kweneng District which should be motivation enough for them to take their artwork serious and earn income out of it. Kawina said most of the artists made their products targeting competitions, which was why their businesses were not growing.

He said one of the aims of the art activity day was to discourage such habits and instill a zealous habit where an artist would work throughout the year and not wait for competitions. This, he said, would go a long way in helping the artist generate income and be able to put food on the table.

He further went on to say by showcasing their products, artists will also be giving their mobile numbers and locations where they interested buyers can contact them.

Mr Kawina said Batswana only believe that diamond were the only thing that can bring money into the country but artwork can also take the country high as long as artists take their work serious.

He said if artists don’t have enough money to make their businesses grow the government has programs which can help them like youth grants and poverty eradication programs.

Ms Mmamahubana Peloewetse of Lekgwapheng ward in Molepolole who does clay works said the day gave meaning to her business as people will now know where she stays and contact her easily.

She said the day was also important because she would manage to sell her clay works, adding that whilst her business has not been doing well she believes that because of this exposure customers would start to recognize what she does and her business would then boom.

Another artist of bead work, Sarah Lesole said marketing their products through the Department of Arts and Culture gave them an opportunity to sell and explain their products to customers.

She said her business was doing well which is based only on bead work and during that day she managed to sell many products.

She further went to say that she helps her business to grow by attending exhibitions and use that money to buy lacking goods. She encouraged youth to take artwork serious as it can take them somewhere.

The public on the other hand was impressed by the exhibition as one of them, Ms Naledi Tiro, said it’s so exciting and motivating to see how creative Batswana are.

“I loved all the work, it’s out of this world and these artists are the best,” she said. ENDS