The Ghana Association of Visual Artists (GAVA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the National Commission on Culture has launched this year’s World Art Day with a call on the Government and stakeholders to join hands in getting a National Gallery of contemporary Art.

President of GAVA, Nana Otuo Owoahene Acheampong, an International Executive member and Coordinator of International Association of Arts (IAA) who made the call observed that Artists documents community history as such there should be a National space for such works where students and researchers can go in there and learn.

“We have had very dynamic and seasoned Artists who have contributed significantly to the development of Ghana, however ” he said, citing Artists like Kofi Antubam, Amon Kotei, Saka Acquaye whose works can hardly be found for researchers and students to mentor.

Nana Owoahene A, however, commended Government for naming the Christiansburg Castle at Osu as a Presidential Museum and pledged on behalf of GAVA and Artists in the country to work hand in hand with Authorities at the place to see how best they can contribute in there.

He informed that Ghana being a member Associations of the IAA, it had chosen to celebrate the Day under the theme: ‘Value of Art and its impact on society’ explaining that as Ghana marks 60 years of Independence we should be looking for the inclusion of Art and mainstreaming visual Arts in National development 60 years on.

Nana Acheampong urged the public to join Artist in celebrating the Day emphasizing that there is the growing need for the world to recognize the importance that art has had on the world as such there is the need to bring to the forefront the role that Artist have had on civilization.

Welcoming participants to the seminar, Mr. Lawrence Kwaku Agyeman, General Secretary of GAVA noted the world Art day was a special event in the life of an Artist as it draws attention on the role Artists play in the development of society. He called on all Artists to brighten whatever corner they find themselves on the Day to make their presence felt.

Adding his voice, the Director of Centre for National Culture, Mr. George Oppong charged Artists and their Associations to utilize the celebration to avail themselves and their works.

“Time has come for Artists to create the awareness of their role in society. If Musicians and Actors have their own awards ceremony why can’t the Visual Arts have one” he stated.

World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine art which was declared by the IAA upon a proposal put forward at the 17th General Assembly in Guadalajara to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide. The date was decided in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci as a symbol of world peace, freedom of expression, tolerance, brotherhood and multiculturalism as well as art’s importance to other fields and as such declared on April 15 as World Art Day, with the first celebration held in 2012. This year’s celebration marks the 6th edition of IAA and the 2nd for Ghana.

Activities on the day will include a live abstract mural painting at the Arts Centre in Accra where the general public will be engaged in drawing.