Postponing....

With the exit of Amanda and Becca from Uganda - so goes my easy access to the internet. So I will have to say that I will spend some time when I get home catching you up on my work here. The photos are great, but I want to tell you more about the experience and the results of these efforts.
Lesli

Week 2...Second Day of Workshops at Buyoga Community Center

The second day of art workshops was again a success. Given the short amount of time I have to post, I thought I would highlight the day through photos!

Week 2...Art Workshops at Kasota Primary School

On Monday, we began the second part of Renewing Material, the Talking Mural Exchange and art workshops. Nine schools in total were involved, split into two locations - Kasota and Buyoga. This is an image of a promo poster that was given out to the community.

Five schools convened at Kasota Primary School, ready to participate and create. When we arrived, there were over a hundred children ready and waiting. (As a side note, we asked that 20 students be selected from each participating school. We learned that Kasota P.S. has over 350 students and 7 teachers!)

As for the day's activities, Fred and Amanda were involved in communicating and executing the creation of a Talking Mural on bark cloth that will be taken back to Rasor Elementary, Becca's school. Also, Amanda was engaging with the students to understand what they were learning from the experience for her thesis. Ivan, Becca, and I were manning the 3 art activity stations inside - printmaking on barkcloth, drawing on canvas, and paper bead making.

Week 2...Traveling Exhibitions...images from Buyoga Trading Center

Although each exhibition site on Sunday proved to be a unique experience - considering that I am running several days behind on my posts, I thought I would give you a selection of photos that I think highlight the day!

Week 2... Traveling exhibition, second stop at Buyoga Trading Center

Just after our morning at Kasota, we packed up and headed to the second stop on our exhibiton "tour," Buyoga Trading Center, about a 20 minute drive from Kasota.

This area is quite important to Fred, he is invested in the community, having worked on several projects with them in the past and present. On my visit to Uganda in 2008, Fred and I took a tour of schools in this area, several that he had worked with and several he was hoping to work with in the future. We developed the idea for the first Talking Mural exchange while visiting this area. In 2009 Fred was able to work with this community on the first mural exchange that was held between the Kibinge area and local schools in the Denton, Frisco and Dallas areas. This was a part of the Renewing Material and the Handmade project I began in 2008.

So it was quite wonderful to continue working in the same area and with many of the same people. So as we approached the exhibition site, again, we were warmly welcomed. Many students and community leaders lent a hand as we began setting up the exhibition. Much like Kasota, everyone was very interested to see the works and get a closer look. But before the exhibition officially opened, we were welcomed with song and dance from the local children. Kalungi Sarah, the Headmistress of Maleku Primary school, and several other community officials formally welcomed us to Buyoga and we were asked to say a few words as well. As a side note, elections are going on, so one of the local politicians/teachers gave her speech for votes then opened the exhibition…

The following post will have several images of the location and the people.

I decided to include an image of the 2009 Talking Mural exchange that took place in Buyoga. Along with the exchange was the ceremonial planting of bark cloth (mutuba) trees.

Week 2...Traveling Exhibition welcome at Kasota

As you have seen by now, there are so many wonderful things going on in Uganda. Despite the poverty and hardships in the area where we worked, we were able to see the gifts that the community is blessed with. As I mentioned in a previous post, the community at our first stop welcomed us with an unexpected program.
This short video shows the natural rhythm these young children have - the drummers were especially gifted.

Week 2...Traveling Exhibitions...first at Kasota

Sunday proved to be an amazing day. We opened the traveling exhibition in two locations, Kasota and Buyoga - both areas of Kibinge Sub County. Before I go on the describe the events, I must first tell you how this all came about...since I was in Texas coordinating with Fred in Kampala, he had to have someone on the ground here in Masaka working directly with the schools. His brother Steven (who I posted a photo of in the previous post) has been amazing at coordinating and mobilizing the community both at Kasota and Buyoga. Everything from the tent set up to getting the word out to the community about the project was coordinated before I arrived. Both he an Fred worked extremely hard to organize and generate excitement about the project. And judging by the turnout for the exhibitions it worked.

When we arrived at Kasota Primary School early that morning we were greeted by the entire community. The tent was set up with displays of mat, banana leaf products as well as hundreds of small bark cloth doll dresses (which were part of an initiative to teach product development and craft skills to the community.) In one corner of the tent, we set up our display of contemporary artworks from the students at Parsons, images of works by European artists, and artwork by Ivan, Sarah, and Venny. Mary Barongo and Oliver Heintz of Barktex worked with us to get images of the contemporary works happening throughout Europe.

What I did not expect was to have such a warm welcome. We were seated as a troupe of dancers, young girls from the village, performed in their local language. Several of the community leaders as well as Matilda, the head mistress of Kasota Primary School, gave speeches that expressed their excitement for the project. Fred, Venny, Sarah and I were asked to speak and then the exhibition was officially opened.

I enjoyed seeing the interest in the works that we brought. In particular, Ivan, Venny and Sarah were able to talk one on one to the artisans of the community about their work - especially issues of good craft.

You can see great photos of Venny, Ivan and Sarah below.

Week 2...Finding our way to Kasota

What I have always loved about the countryside is the beauty - the contrast of the red dirt roads cutting through the green landscape. But itsn't there always a price for beauty? Before I go on I have to say - Fred Mutebi is an excellent driver. Uganda is full of a handfull of smooth tarmac roads, but the majority are pothole filled, water washed, red dirt roads. It takes a skilled driver to navigate the directionless traffic going way to fast, avoiding people walking on the sides of the roads, and dodging the gullies/ditches that wind their way down the center of the roads.
The video is one road that we took each day to get to Kasota Primary School. Our first thought was that we were going to get stuck in the middle of nowhere, but as I said earlier, Fred is an excellent driver.
I don't know if I mentioned one of our favorite people, Matila, the headmistress at Kasota Primary School? But one of the things that shows more of her character is that although she has a comfortable house in Masaka Town (in the city) she stays all week in the village at the school so that she can hold her teachers accountable and motivated. And experiencing her commute, I see why it is a challenge for her to even get to the school.

Week 2...Updates....finally.

My apologies for the long space between this post and the last. As I said in the previous emails, there are challenges with the the internet system. This past week was filled with meeting friends - fellow artists, scholars and family. I have been working to corrdinate with Fred, Becca and Amanda all the remaining planning/packing, etc for the Masaka project. So at some point I will make sure to let you know a little more about this past week.

But right now, we are in Masaka District, launching Renewing Material. Driving down on Saturday, we arrived in town to get supplies, find a hotel (no, I don't stay in the "bush"), and drive to the sights where the exhibition and workshops will take place. One of my favorite things about Uganda is that even the drive is an unexpected adventure - a dirt road filled, and I mean filled, with pot holes, ditches along with speeding cars and boda bodas coming at you. The image posted is one of the "adventures" along the way.

Besides Fred, Becca, Amanda and myself, our group included - Ivan Yakuze(artist), Sarah Nakisanze (artist), Olivia (Sarah's assistant), Michael Kirkpatrick (from the US), and Venny Nakazibwe (Dean, Makerere). Everywhere we have gone we have received the warmest of welcomes. Many from the community can out on Saturday to greet us and show us around their school. We visited Kasota Primary School and Buyoga Primary School. One of the key organizers is Fred's brother Steven (Fred is on the right, Steven on the left) and the Headmistress of Maleku Primary School, Sarah Kalungi (pictured in her office with Fred.)

So I thought I would post a few mages from Saturday.

Week 1...Posting new blogs tomorrow!

Slow internet connections, traffic jams, and hard to reach internet cafes have kept me from updating you about the project and trip. I am trying to remedy the situation, so until then, take a look at Becca Schaefer's blog, www.beccaschaef.wordpress.com.

So, just to let you know, we are in Masaka District, Uganda and ready to start the exhibition tomorrow. I look forward to posting new photos of the day's events.

Week 1...Visiting Makerere

This week, I had the chance to visit a good friend and former visiting scholar to UNT. Dr. Venny Nakazibwe is the current Dean of the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts at Makerere University. I had the opportunity to visit and present the books and journals given by the staff and faculty of UNT. She was very pleased to receive the gift and expressed her gratitude for the addition to the faculty library. Venny will be driving to Masaka for the Renewing Material exhibition on Sunday, even contributing a work of hers.

Week 1...Uganda Welcomes Us!

After arriving in Uganda on Sunday evening, we arranged a meeting in the Wakiso district of Uganda, outside of Kampala, with one of the artists that will be traveling to Masaka with us, Ivan Yakuze. Ivan will be displaying several of his barkcloth pieces in the Traveling Exhibition that will be shown in Masaka and later in Texas. It was a wonderful experience to see his work first hand and get to hear him discuss the different techniques and imagery he uses. Here are several images from the visit, Enjoy!






To read more about our travels from Texas to Uganda feel free to check out the information posted on Becca Schaefer's blog at beccaschaef.wordpress.com

Contributed by: Amanda Batson & Becca Schaefer

Times and Locations Set!

Fred Mutebi of Let Art Talk has been diligent in linking this project to local schools in the Masaka area. Fred's connections and hard work will enable us to work with 8 area primary and secondary schools. Thanks to the generosity of donators, Becca, Amanda and I have been packing supplies that will be left with each school, encouraging more explorations of art and design. Additionally, we will have the Renewing Material exhibition at two locations on Sunday the 21st, wish us luck as we "travel" it - i.e. packing up the tent, PA system, artwork, tables......in a short amount of time.

I did want to mention a partner organization that has developed a strong relationship with Fred over the past several years, Kinderen van Uganda. They are currently in the process of building a community center in Kibinge, Uganda that we will be using for one of our workshops. Because of their continued work with Fred in the Masaka area, they have become a supporter of this project, you will see them listed on the promotional materials. Here is a link - www.kinderenvanuganda.nl.

One last mention to Erica Egner for her beautiful banner design you see here!