Mr Juan Elegido, Vice- Chancellor, Pan-Atlantic University, on Friday called on Nigerians and foreigners to visit the Yemisi Shyllon Art Museum, Pan-Atlantic University to learn the pre and post-colonial history of Nigeria.
Elegido made the call during a media tour of the museum in Lagos.
He said that the museum focuses on research into the past, teaching and training of students to be artistically creative.
” The museum helps us in educating the regular students here, to enable them practise properly and contribute to the growth of the society.
” The museum is a powerful resource, we welcome visitors from all walks of life to learn and for the students to be trained to be artistically creative.
” The Pan-Atlantic University plans to be the third top university in Africa and we have a long term plan of having an art department.
“ We occasionally organise competitions to develop artistic sense in students, the last one we did was on photography,” he said.
Michael Oseghale, Manager, Yemisi Shyllon Art Museum, Pan-Atlantic University, said that most of the art works at the museum were from artists and art collectors who have signed the deed of gift with the university management.
Oseghale said that the museum would be opening an art exhibition on Aug. 28 to project works of contemporary women artists in Nigeria with 35 of their works on display.
“Visitors coming in to the museum are to pay N500 each,” he said.
Mr Solomon Nkwagu, Manager, Visitors Services, Pan-Atlantic University said that the students were usually enlightened on the ancient Nsibidi system of writing developed in the southern region of the nation.
“We often take children back to the pre-colonial age, we explain what was obtainable those day so that they can be creative.
” We allow them to be creative by developing their own system of writing. We also expose them to the knowledge of various deities that existed, the significance of the Benin bronze and more,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the museum accommodated works of renowned artists including Nike Okundaye, Amarachi Okafor, Modupe Fadugba, Peju Alatishe, Fati Abubakar and Bolaji Ohunrosoye.
Others are Ben Enwonwu, Jimoh Akilo, Yusuf Grillo, Uche Okeke, Victor Ekpuk, Ndidi Dike, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Muraina Oyelami, Susanne Wenger and Kolade Oshinowo.
The museum focuses on evolution of Nigerian arts from pre to post-colonial era with works of earliest modernists trained by the British Colonial masters as their contributions towards the development of arts were showcased.
The museum’s architectural design allowed for easy accessibility to see those art works from several perspectives while they view it from different angles of the museum.
(NAN)
