By Iminza Keboge
Published June 29, 2016
Kenya Museum Society (KMS) is calling upon artists to submit their work for its annual end of year show and fundraiser.
Selected artwork for the Affordable Art Show-cum-fundraiser will be exhibited and sold for the purpose of supporting National Museums of Kenya (NMK).
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“The exhibition will showcase the diversity and richness of the creativity of Kenya’s artists with a range of experience,” Dr Marla Stone, KMS’s Art Coordinator, says.
Interested artists are requested to confirm their intent to participate as soon as possible to KMS’s email, info@kenyamuseumsociety.org, giving their name, phone and email contacts, and stating the type of work they will submit.
“The opening of the Art Show will take place in the Courtyard behind the Louis Leakey Auditorium on Friday evening, 28 October 2016. There is a Sh500 entry fee to the Friday opening to be paid by all, including artists. The show will continue on Saturday and Sunday, 29-30 October, 2016. No entry fee is charged on Saturday and Sunday,” a statement from KMS and NMK says.
With the show being open to open to painting, sculpture and mixed media work, artists are invited to submit to the juried show by entering a maximum of two of their pieces.
As if to avoid confusion, a statement signed by Lydia Gatundu-Galavu, the curator of Contemporary Art at NMK and Dr Stone provides the criteria upon which the pre-selection of the art entries shall be based:
i) Each piece must be limited in size to a maximum of 100cm x 100cm (paintings and sculptures) to facilitate buyers carrying their work home in their cars. Please note that in our experience people are more likely to buy smaller pieces.
ii) The work must be created in 2016.
iii) All paintings must be framed/stretched and ready for exhibiting, preferably with no glass. All fragile 3-dimensional pieces must be submitted in protective packaging.
Please note: KMS will not be responsible for fragile pieces of work.
iv) All submissions must be priced at no more than Sh99999. Artists must price their work reasonably and affordably.
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While Nairobi-based artists are requested to deliver their entries to “the former NMK Boardroom at the rear of the Courtyard on Wednesday, 19 October 2016, strictly between 10:00 and 3:00 PM,” their counterparts outside the Kenyan capital who send their “work by public transport must make sure that the work arrives no later than Monday, 17 October 2016,” KMS and NMK say.”Unsold art must be picked up on Monday, 31 October 2016, strictly between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Any art not collected by that date and time will become the property of KMS and will be used to raise further funds for NMK.”
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Meanwhile, Kisii-based sculptor Robin Okeyo Mbera invites art lovers to sample his pink soapstone work.
Mbera says he also works on commission besides creating his own independent sculptures for sale.
Among the commissioned work the sculptor says he is working on in his MberArts Studio in Tabaka include those he has titled ‘Fighting Perception’, ‘Melodious Evening’ and ‘Beneath Still Loudy’.
