Museum of West African Art receives $3 million grant for sector growth

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has supported the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) with a $3 million (approximately N5 billion) grant to promote arts management and education in West Africa.

Established in 2020, MOWAA is a Benin-based non-profit organisation committed to safeguarding West African heritage, fostering knowledge, and promoting the region’s vibrant arts and culture.

They also provide infrastructure and programmes for the preservation, display, research, learning and exchange of arts and culture from a world-class campus in the heart of the historic district of Benin City, Nigeria.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a US-based organisation that is one of the most prominent supporters of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding.

MOWAA, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, announced that the grant would primarily focus on enhancing skills development and driving sector growth.

Furthermore, the statement outlined that the grant would contribute to economic and cultural advancement by empowering local communities and strengthening the cultural sector through talent development and resource allocation.

The initiative complements extensive efforts to encourage growth through arts and cultural protection and education.

MOWAA Team Archaeologists educate students on excavation process and finds

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MOWAA’s Executive Director, Phillip Ihenacho, expressed gratitude for the grant, stating that it would advance the organisation’s mission to transform arts management, education, and cultural conservation in West Africa.

“This grant will help us establish world-class programmes that will provide skills training in arts management, collections care, and conservation,” stated Ihenacho.

He reiterated the company’s commitment to transforming the cultural sector into a thriving hub for practitioners and leaders throughout West Africa.

Mr Ihenacho further highlighted that the funding would enhance archaeological and historical management initiatives, focusing on preserving Benin’s ancient moats.

Additionally, he said the funding would support promoting contemporary art through artist residencies and commissions.

“The MOWAA Institute, set to open in November 2024, will act as a research centre for these efforts, amongst many others servicing institutions in and around West Africa.”

He added, “This grant is consistent with MOWAA’s objective of promoting economic and cultural development through the arts, empowering local communities, and restoring the region’s cultural importance.”

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MOWAA

MOWAA, established in 2020, offers programmes and resources that foster deeper connections between contemporary art and culture and West Africa’s rich heritage while creating a centre of excellence for African and diaspora artists and scholars.

MOWAA’s 15-acre Creative Campus, located in Benin, comprises multiple buildings and public spaces for display, performance, interaction, and commerce. It was designed by a collaboration of local and international architects.

Complementing MOWAA Institute, campus facilities include the Rainforest Gallery, an exhibition building for contemporary art nestled in a replanted rainforest, and the Art Guesthouse, which provides accommodation for visiting researchers, academics, artists, and tourists.

Other facilities include the Artisans Hall, a reimagination of the ancient Kingdom of Benin’s architecture. It serves as a curated retail space for artisans to showcase a living and thriving culture.