- MYSC sponsors to the tune of P161 000
- Outdoor exhibition to raise awareness on GBV
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
After their big occasion was cancelled last year, art enthusiasts will be delighted to know that the second edition of the Francistown Arts Meeting will take place from 17 to 20 February 2021, Time Out has established.
Themed “Art Beyond the Studio,” the event will feature an indoor exhibition, a workshop and an outdoor exhibition on the last day. The indoor exhibition will be hosted at the Francistown Civic Centre while the outdoor exhibition will be at the Kenneth Nkhwa Interchange.
“The outdoor exhibition will be dedicated to educating the community and raising awareness about Gender-Based Violence (GBV),” says event organizer Keoagile Bonang. “The GBV awareness exhibition was inspired by the spiking numbers of GBV cases in the country. We decided to play our part to continue to raise awareness because we believe art is a powerful mode of communication and that is artists will produce works that will educate our community.”
The art extravaganza will also feature a workshop to teach creatives the business of art beyond the studio. The objective is to prepare and educate artists that art is not a hobby or a pass time but a business. Dr Thulaganyo Mogobe of the University of Botswana and Den Sibanda of Molepolole College of Education will facilitate the workshop. The arts meeting will feature the crème dela crème of the arts scene, including Obed Mokhuhlani, who is the curator, and guest exhibitors Loretta Mekgwe, Wilson Ngoni, Segolame Kabo and Beuza Kaunda.
Says Bonang: “We will have a kids’ art lesson in which we are collaborating with Loretta Mekgwe’s Art Lab. I would like to highlight that Francistown Arts Meeting is a national exhibition and is not just for Francistown residents. It is open to anyone across the country even across the border.”
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Development (MYSC) is the main sponsor of the event with P161 000. Other sponsors are Events Live, The Voice, FCP and Aolani Guesthouse. The indoor exhibition will allow artists to explore different themes accompanied by an art statement for each piece.
“So far the preparations are going well because we have registered over 20 artists towards at total 30 exhibitors that we expect,” Bonang said. “All our guest exhibitors are ready and have confirmed their participation. The only challenge is that because we don’t have a ready exhibition hall in Francistown, we have to design some mounting boards. We are working on them already and the results are positive.”