Media Releases

Museum partners with City of Kitchener to host African Art Installation
Posted by Children's Museum Admin (cmadmin) on Friday, 14th December, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Media Releases >>

Kitchener, ON - The Children's Museum is proud to reveal its newest community collaboration. Omwaana, Latin, Omode, Mtoto is an art show that with the help of the City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence, Paul Roorda, has been produced by children in African countries and is now being displayed at The Children’s Museum.

This exhibition displays approximately 100 pieces of art by children from four different countries in Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The artists of this exhibition are among those Africans most affected by poverty, violence, and in particular the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Children from these countries were invited to paint or draw what they wanted Canadians to know about the joys and concerns in their lives.

"The title of this exhibition includes the word for 'child' in each of the languages spoken by the artists of this exhibition," explains Paul Roorda, Artist in Residence at the City of Kitchener and the Curator of the exhibit. "Repeating this word in the title is so important as it drives home that the violence and poverty and illness in their artwork is directly relevant to children."

"It is important for the Museum to be involved in community projects especially when they reflect multiculturalism and can teach the children in this Region about the life experiences of children in different parts of the world," said David Marskell, the Museum's Chief Executive Officer. "The exhibit also links to the upcoming Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall which the Museum is hosting beginning in January as it is another direct tie to Africa." The African Art will remain at the Museum for the entire duration of Discovering Chimpanzees.

The official opening of the exhibition will take place at The Children's Museum on December 1st, which is appropriately World AIDS Day, from 7 until 9pm.

Omwaana, Latin, Omode, Mtoto: Children's Art from Africa can be found on display at The Children's Museum until May 25th of 2008.