By Mama A Touray & Sainabou Sambou
Charmaine Minniefield last weekend launched her visual arts show at the Metzy Residency Hotel, Kotu.
The launching of the new visual arts was geared towards encouraging young Gambian artists to embrace arts and also work with the National Centre for Arts and Culture of The Gambia to engage youth.
Buba Manneh the founder of the Smiling Coast Gambia lamented on the corruption of Africa which he said is the reason why Africa is failing. He however expressed delight seeing youth around him.
He said African programs do not have any value but the only solution to it is the youth,
According to him many African youth have no sense “about our history have no sense about our present, have no sense of our future.”
He advised the young people to wake up which the only way to send a clear message to the people because old ones cannot continue to lead in the usual ways and manners, “a reason we formed the Smiling Coast Foundation and our purpose is to educate the youth and to provide shelter for all Gambians. This is the main reason Charmaine Minniefield come with her art work to do painting in our society.”.
She noted that she has interest in arts and believe that an art is the heartbeat of humanity ”One thing we have is our cultural expression that unites us, connects with our past,” she noted
Further to that, she said she believes that arts is where power is and even where the future terms of empowering young people to monitor their talent to sustain themselves and to tell their stories in various form.
”It is not always easy for an artist because we are entrepreneurs but we have to establish a network and allow us to sustain when people begin to support us and our works, with perseverance it will pays off,” she said with assurance.
She however disclosed the readiness of NCAC collaboration with the Smiling Coast Foundation, which she said will help many young artists to be more creative.
