Ijele: Art eJournal of the African World (2002)

ISSN: 1525-447X

Reports on The Pan-African Conference on the Status, Role and Working Condition of the Artist in Africa

The Pan-African Circle of Artists is not in doubt about the imperative of the just concluded Pan-African Conference of the Status, Role and Working Condition of the Artist in Africa. It is, so far, apparently PACA’s biggest and most demanding project in terms of the energy and other resources (including finance) that went into it. Almost completely sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund in The Netherlands, the event has as its remote objective, the hope to “revive and reinforce the significance of art and aesthetics in the harsh and deeply dehumanized environment in Africa.” While the Prince Claus Fund granted USD 22, 400.00 (a quarter of which is trapped in the embattled Savannah Bank) for the project, some further assistance came from PACA Patron Engr. Yemisi Shyllon, Ms. Angela Onyeador and her African Foundation for the Arts, Dawn Functions Nigeria Limited, Art-in-Africa Project, and The Art Republic. While Yemisi Shyllon and Angela Onyeador donated N120, 000.00 and N126, 000.00 respectively, the other organizations gave logistic and technical supports. Further, funds of about USD 5,000.00 were raised internally by PACA’s International Advisory Council and the Nigeria Council. Interestingly, there was no support from the government or its agencies, both within and outside Nigeria. Although invitations were sent to people in government, including Ministers, gallery and culture administrators, and senators, non of them attended this epochal meeting. Invitations and entreaties sent to O.A.U. and ECOWAS all met with unexplained rebuff. An administrator at Nigeria’s National Commission of UNESCO who had been invited to attend as a Special Guest did not show up and also had not the goodness to send a representative.

We find it most worrisome and regrettable that this conference, with its crucial theme, did not hold any interest or import for some of the organizations mentioned above. While the attitude of O.A.U. and ECOWAS could be blamed on the general apathy that pervade contemporary Africa, there comes a time to turn a new leaf, a time when apathy should transform to enthusiasm (and the conference provides a good opportunity). In the same vein, the fact that UNESCO and its commission in Nigeria could send no paper to the conference calls for serious concern. Having done a similar conference in the past, UNESCO should have seen this as an extension of its efforts in the 1990s and participated in the meeting as an earnest of its good faith in ameliorating the situation and work conditions of the artist in Africa. Curiously, this was not the case.

But for us at PACA, the wheel of art must turn in the face of all odds. With the above scenario, the conference acquires added meaning and imperative. It amplifies the problems the conference set out to address and demonstrates how “harsh and dehumanized” the environment in Africa can be, especially for the creative person. For if those empowered to make things happen in the art scene are comatose, art itself runs the risk of becoming otiose and consequently losing its ability to sustain, ameliorate, and revarnish society.

Thus the conference, rather than be threatened by the absence of art administrators, culture arbitrators and some other expected participants, found strength in it and drew on it in search for essence and clarity in the lack-lustre relation between art and society in contemporary Africa.

Originally structured in four panels, the conference had the following broad sub-themes with some clarifying notes:

Panel I

Art, Artists, and Society in Precolonial Africa

Co-chairs: Prof. John Picton and Prof. Ola Oloidi

Before the advent of colonization, art originally belonged to the centre of society, the very soul of it from where society’s life derived. The artist was not necessarily alienated from society; although he needed some constructive aloofness to be able to focus on the intricacies of his vocation, he remained, to paraphrase Achebe, the lone cock that crowed in the distant private compound, but which belonged to the community. In the light of this fact, this panel shall focus on the place of art in pre-colonial Africa. What constituted art? Who were the artists? Who were the patrons of the art? How relevant were the artists and their works to the workings and perpetuation of society?

Panel II

Art, Artists, and Society in Postcolonial Africa

Co-Chairs: Prof. Margaret Nagawa and Mr. Frank Ugiomoh

There is no doubt that colonization brought with it, extraneous systems of education, with new patterns of science and technology which have tended to widen the gap between art, technology, and society in the so-called modern era. With the displacement of communalism by hyper-individual and now faced with the large-looming, intimidating, implications of globalism, what is the role and status of the artist in contemporary Africa, and how are the role and status enhanced by the prevalent socio-political and economic situations in the continent?

Panel III

The Status and Work Conditions of Artists in Contemporary Africa.

Co-Chairs: Jennifer Ord and and Kunle Filani

It is now obvious that Africa re-entered a new form of colonization with the attainment of political independence from the middle of the 20th century. The situation has been sustained by mental and material poverty orchestrated by gross mismanagement and corruption that characterize leadership in Africa. Consequently, war of various shades, hunger and apathy have taken a great toll, and things which otherwise would be taken for granted, are generally a luxury. How has such a psyche impacted both positively and negatively on the work of the artist in Africa? How has it influenced the teaching, learning, dissemination, and promotion of art in Africa? What role has the governments, museums, galleries, the copyright councils, and other national and international institutions played to ameliorate this condition in the last century and in the threshold of this century?

Panel IV

Art Propagation and Patronage in Africa: Beyond the Bread-and-Butter Syndrome

Co-Chairs: Prof. Yacouba Konate and Peter Ezeh

The Socio economic reality in Africa has foregrounded material values over and above others, which are relevant to the creation and sustenance of a human community. Things and enterprises, which cannot guarantee wealth and power, are not critically appreciated in contemporary Africa. As art presently cannot guarantee these in the highly monetized social milieu in Africa, it suffers serious neglect from individuals and government as a result of a pervert sense of development. Consequently, beyond commercial exhibitions and art fairs, Africa’s arts are seldom propagated (in the real sense of the word) inside the continent. Much of the serious dissemination has been initiated elsewhere.

Against this background, how can the African artist be encouraged to rise above the challenges of mundane living in order to attain real professionalism? As a corollary to this, how can the governments and other relevant institutions across the continent be sensitized to their role in this imperative and to the humanizing capacity of art in relation to nation building and technological development? What can be done to rescue Africa from the so-called “zones of silence,” using art as a datum for confronting the dangers of passivity and anonymity, especially as the West-engineered monologue of globalisation envelopes the entire world?

In addition to the above, there were other suggested sub-themes which were conceived in such a manner that they would roughly be accommodated in the four panels. The suggestions are as follows:

Ethnicity and the Quest for Creative Excellence in Africa

A good number of African countries are bazaars of ethnic nationalities and cultures. Most often, this reality encourages division and competition which can affect the work of the artist in various ways. In some countries, it not only summons some degree of image crisis upon the art tradition and identity, it also impedes any constructive concert on the art scene, which could transform into a tool for the pursuit and articulation of the common good. What are the implications of this situation on the status and possible role of the artist in society?
Art as Social Concern: The Role of Art in the Transformation and Development of Society.

If we agree that art is a social and socializing enterprise which cannot achieve its potentials and goals in isolation from other factors in society, how much impetus and support has the government, society’s agencies, and peoples in Africa given to art and artists to enable them attain these goals? How has the art-cultural policies in different African countries encouraged the artist to contribute vigorously and meaningfully to the workings and dynamics of society?
Art of Politics/Politics of Art: The Place of Art in the Lives of the Individual and the Society.

The severance of art from socio-political life has been described as “the greatest misfortune of modern times.” This fact is very palpable in much of Africa where politics and, at times, soldiery have been placed above all else. The urgent questions here are, does art merely represent a peripheral phenomenon, which is to be patronized peripherally as “amusement” or “magic” (a la Collingwood)? And, is politics necessarily such a sterile enterprise that it should be so tragically insulated from the peace and salve which art can provide? Of course, these questions could lead to the continued distancing of art from politics in Africa.
Hit and Run: Between the Artist and the Socioeconomic Demands in Africa.

With the economic downturn and the attendant rise of a rather suicidal religious revivalism in most parts of Africa, how does the artist oscillate between the lure of creative license and the imperative of survival? Beyond the artist’s own intuition for survival, how is his/her work affected (positively or negatively) by the dominant vision and aspiration in the society? Although a number of African countries parade impressive arrays of successful artists, it is a fact that a good number of these were ‘made’ largely by non-African institutions and forces. Outside this group, the rest are hit-and-run artists who are neither here nor there, but lay claim to art by virtue of their relation with it as an alternative meal ticket.
Art, Artists, and Cultural Policies in Africa

Many African governments have enacted cultural policies for the smooth operation of their various culture circuits. In addition to these is UNESCO’s official policy on art and artists which may have been endorsed, even adopted, by some countries. In many of these countries, these documents are no more than mere printed matter locked away in dusty closets. Against this background, what roles can the artists and government play in contriving workable policies that can advance and enhance the status, role, and work condition of the artist in Africa?
In the Heart of Darkness: Problems of Writing on Art in Africa

It is often said that the perpetuation of art and its traditions depend largely on the manner and quality of propagation/dissemination it enjoys. In other words, it is through dissemination of art that its history and criticism can be augmented and carried on. In Africa, the dearth of art literature is not only adversely affecting the wholesome development of art, it has also encouraged the colonization of the field of African art studies by so-called “intimate outsiders.” So far, much of the existing literature is the result of the exertion of a few journals and the print media, and the question that needs to be asked now are: What role does the press play in the dissemination of art in Africa? What is the quality of that role and how has it complimented, encouraged, or postponed a sustainable and credible business of art history inside Africa?
Angels in the Diaspora/Devils at Home

The quest for identity and authentic voice has been the concern of African artists, curators and critics. Since the dying years of the last century, this has given birth to a lot of activities relating to African art. These activities, unfortunately, are mainly engineered from outside even when they happen on the continent. The situation is not too different even for events that originate from Africa. In some instances, African artists and curators who apparently would advance “Western sanctioned aesthetics” are preferred to their home-based counterparts. This has not only led to a dual vision of African art, it has also encouraged a few African artists who are either domiciled in the west or who have access to Western grants and institutions to continue to arrogate to themselves the right to speak for Africa at all times. Whether or not this has helped African art and Africa in the face of their fundamental developmental difficulties can be measured by the kind of art curricula, scholarship, and works that function inside Africa, in relation to the bamboozling theories and fanciful narratives which have been spun around African art largely by African artists and curators in the Diaspora in recent years. The question here is why is African art (how ever it is defined) making so much wave abroad while there is very little to show for it at home?

Although over thousand letters and emails were written in the course of preparations for the conference, only about forty eight abstracts were received, among other numerous responses. Of this number, forty-two abstracts were accepted and published in form of a book. Yet fewer than forty papers were presented at the conference proper. There were over seventy participants in all. Not unnaturally, participants from Nigeria dominated the event. But although only about nine countries were represented in the conference, issues raised and the attendant debates cut across regions of Africa. Indeed the picture that emerges is that most African countries share the same problems as far as art and culture are concerned. From the ministries of culture through the art councils, public museums, and private institutions, all suffer from the inverted value syndrome that defines contemporary Africa. There is no doubt that the artists have done well in Africa in spite of these apparently insurmountable odds. But they could do better with the right kind of support and patronage which they critically lack at the moment. And in performing better they would be more able to contribute to the development of their societies, since the work of art is ultimately a basis for the socializing dialogue which sustains and perpetuates society.

The conference does not seek to fill this vacuum. It should not fill it. It cannot fill it. But it can initiate action(s) toward that goal. That is precisely the context in which it was conceived, and we hope that sooner or later, it would meet all expectations. Yet we recognize that it can only do this if and when the proceedings are properly published and circulated among relevant circles.

The attached Panel Reports and Communiqué have been articulated to provide further insight into the proceedings of the conference.

Scope and Limitations

The conference had been planned to attract participants from as many countries as possible, but the scope had to be adjusted due to paucity of funds.

In view of this, a number of things, including the number of sponsoring foreign participants, were cut down. The closure in February of Savannah Bank of Nigeria Plc, our bankers, did not help matters.

In order to buy time, we postponed the conference to May 1, as against the original date of April 3. If this strategy brought any relief, it was only in terms of logistics. It also occasioned new difficulties. Almost all the original special resource persons declined to attend on the new date. Ultimately, about eight foreign participants from Africa and Europe attended the conference in addition to many Nigerian participants.

Although forty-two abstracts were accepted for the conference, thirty-two papers were read. Even a few Nigerian participants who had submitted abstracts could not come. Part of the reason was the acute fuel scarcity that had hit Nigeria about a week before the conference.

In spite of these hitches and many more, I can say with modesty that the conference went well. Most of the about 70 participants acknowledged that it was a worthwhile experience and that the themes and issues raised should be pursued and explored beyond the conference (I have attached a few comments by other people).

Recommendations

In the light of the realities and facts outlined above, this report may not be complete without a few recommendations that could become part of a basis for any possible follow-ups on the project.

It is apparent that the organizers stretched the funds for the conference in order to make the best of available resources and come as close as possible to the original plan.
In our view, the conference is not yet ended until the reports and proceedings are published and circulated throughout Africa and beyond to ensure that the ultimate message of the conference reaches the right quarters and the right people. Otherwise, the whole event will amount to mere waste of money, energy, words and other precious resources.
To this extent, we recommend that a small pamphlet containing a brief general report, the panel reports, and the communiqué be published immediately and circulated widely to concretize the visions and goals of the conference.
In addition to this, all the papers presented and all those for which abstracts were received but which were not presented should be collated and sent to two or three scholars for assessment. Consequently, a book should be produced from all the papers approved by the assessors. Besides the papers, the book should also contain an edited transcription of all the open discussions at the conference. To be able to make the desired impact and fulfill the centralizing goals of the conference, the book should be published in about six months from now.

C. Krydz Ikwuemesi

Project Co-ordinator and Chair, Organising Committee

Panel Reports

Panel 1

Art, Artists and Society in Precolonial Africa

The papers presented under the heading of the Pre-colonial arts reveal the need for more first-hand research and authoritative writing about the history of art in Nigeria, and by implication elsewhere in Africa. There is a need to put this research into a secure historical and social context with a clear understanding of the nature of the period that is being presented.
At present, the continued use of ‘pre-colonial’ or ‘traditional’ is art-historically unsatisfactory as they impose the appearance of periodization that is factually untenable. The evidence for this is provided by traditions inherited from the past that flourish alongside practices of more recent inception.
The arts inherited from the past provide sources of knowledge about the past and a continuing formal resource for all current practice, as well as supplying a variety of local leads.
There is no clear fracture between ‘tradition’ and ‘modernity’ when the factual situations in that great variety of practices are current with our present time. The older traditions are as much part of the modern world as the more recent practices.
There is also, and this became obvious from the papers in panel 2-4, a clear need for the authoritative documentation of the art media of more recent inception, i.e. since the 1850s. These include photography, easel painting, printmaking, graphic design, textile and fashion, and modern practices in sculpture and ceramics.
One obvious way in which this could begin is by the documentation of existing private collections. Art patrons could be encouraged to realize that the historic, aesthetic and financial value of their collections will be enhanced by documentation and publication.
Topics discussed in the open sessions included the need for artists to benefit from better management. This would include the documentation of their work and its sales and patronage, a more careful attention to pricing structure, and more effective exhibitions. An effective art management should also take a pro-active stance in marketing the work of an artist.
It was recognized that the success of this conference in attracting international sponsorship and participation should provide the basis for further international events of all kinds: workshops, biennales, conferences, etc.
All of this will require financial input for governments, NGOs and private sources; and when these institutions are persuaded of the need to commission art, many countries in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, would find themselves caught up in a truly African renaissance.

Prof. John Picton and Prof. Ola Oloidi

Co-chairs, Panel 1

Panel 2

Art and Artists in Postcolonial Africa

In this section, preambles to papers were located against a background of the precolonial and the colonial eras. There was, however, a general belief that African artists need to understand their past in order to forge a future.

Even in the above view there were divergent points regarding which past, whose past and how to categorize that past. What was considered “traditional” African arts, it was observed, still constitute extant traditions. This led to contentions therefore as to what was traditional after all. It was observed that beyond art, many human engagements were indeed traditional including the whole idea of making art. A battle of terminologies evolved with words like traditional, ancient, modern, post-modern, post-colonial, post-Africanist, with all being debated upon. Within the contexts of the above, two significant focuses emerged;

The nature of what constitutes the present
The situation of the present in its successes and failures.

Discussions, however, went on within the following highlights. It was observed that artists need to reclaim the public space so that they do not have to operate from the periphery of society, as the cartoon artist Romanus Nkwonta did.

The artist should be seen as an ally of government because of the value of his cultural produce. Artists must not be made to be subservient to governments as the situations in Burkina Faso Sankara-led regime showed. The same observation was reported for Mozambique. Thus artists have to be wary of who they work for and why, lest they become slaves to the public as Savane Yaya, one of the participants, observed.

The art, artist, and museum structure were also discussed. Emphasis was placed on finding ways of making the museum relevant in Africa. In this light, installation as a new category of making and presenting art to the public was reviewed. Art was first and foremost made by people to live with and that notion implies installation. May be there could be ways to enhance this new notion so as to encourage people to closely observe their environments and take note of its artistic structures and order, where applicable.

The artists relationship with the media was also examined and suggestions made. It was thought that artists have to make themselves visible. It was also stated clearly that art was not synonymous with show business. This is an idea worth exploring independently. However Prof. Osa Egonwa proposed that the art guild should evolve its bureaucracies to help keep artists alert to their responsibilities to themselves, the works they have created and the public image of the artist.

What should art be in the present day Africa and what future? A bond between the present and the past was recommended with unresolved differences regarding what an artwork should be or do.

With respect to art in education, was recommended that the art education curriculum is becoming obsolete in most parts of Africa and needs to be reviewed and updated.

By way of a summary, it was observed that the working and social condition of the artist should be of interest to governments in Africa. This is because of the inestimable worth of the artwork. The nature of the social and cultural relevance of art to any society makes the canvassed support necessary.

Margaret Nagawa & Frank Ugiomoh

Co-chairs, Panel II

Panel 4

Art Propagation and Patronage in Africa: Beyond the Bread-and-Butter Syndrome

Prof. Yacouba Konate of University of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and P-J Ezeh of Department of Sociology/Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, co-chaired this panel on the two days it held, May 2, and May 3, 2002. The sub-theme was “Reminders on Art in Africa: Art Propagation and Patronage in Africa.” Before the first day session commenced, Panel 3 was merged with Panels 2 and 4 such that some of the panelists were taken to Panel 2 and the others to Panel 4.

Nineteen papers were scheduled to be presented. All but five of these were presented by the end of the second day. The papers not presented were those whose authors neither were in attendance nor sent to the conference. In two instances papers were read for the authors unable to attend. One of these was on behalf of Evelyn Nicodemus and the other was on behalf of Dr. J.T. Agberia. One paper that was not originally scheduled was also presented. In all 15 papers were presented.

A vast area of interests was covered under this sub-theme. While the efforts of artists were commended, it was suggested that there was still room for improvement in the concepts covered by artists vis-à-vis the issue of whether to pander to popular taste or to be really original; media relations, and marketing of products of the artists. One paper stressed the issue of quality of products of artists as the only thing that might survive them in an unsalutary socioeconomic environment where lifespan for art had become too short.

Nigerian and Ghanaian governments were criticized by some presenters for not putting due premium on art and culture. In the case of Nigeria it was specifically mentioned that after the National cultural policy was introduced on August 28, 1988 nothing had been done to implement it. The government was also severely criticized for the effort to privatize the National Arts Theatre Complex. In the case of Ghana, art education was recommended as an effective way to enhance national development. A paper combining text and a slide demonstration of an actual project in Kenya made a similar recommendation to all African nations. It suggested that teaching of art should begin as early as possible in a learner’s life. Using the Uganda example, another paper showed how hard it could be to practise some genres of art in a setting where such was not well understood by members of the public.

One paper drew attention to the abuse of African art by fake asylum seekers who employ hawking of tawdry, usually copied, paintings as a ploy to beg in central Europe. Another paper recommended an increase in the number of museums as a custody of art objects, while yet another criticized the structure and size of the museums now in existence, describing them as inadequate. For instance, it suspected that the nature of the present museums limited the performance of exhibiting artists who must confine the size of their own works to what is capable of being accommodated in those museums. Like the first paper, it recommended more suitable museums.

Peter Ezeh and Prof. Yacouba Konate

Co-chairs, Panel IV

The Pan-African Conference on the Status, Role and Working Condition of the Artist in Africa

National Museum, Abakaliki Road, Enugu

May 1-4, 2002

Communiqué

The Pan-African Conference on the Status, Role and Working Condition of the Artist in Africa is an initiative to revive and reinforce the significance of art and aesthetics in the harsh and deeply dehumanized environment in Africa.

In organizing the conference, PACA is fully aware that other bodies in the past had at one time or the other articulated issues that relate to the above theme and objective. However, if the desired results of those earlier efforts were met, we probably would have been looking at other issues that relate art to man in the African society.

Pursuant to the conference objectives, four panels were constituted, but these were eventually reduced to three, due to the inability of the co-chairs of Panel III to attend and preside. The panels were originally structured as follows:

Art, Artists and Society in Precolonial Africa
Art, Artists and Society in Postcolonial Africa
The Status and Work Conditions of Artists in Contemporary Africa, and
Art Propagation in Africa: Beyond the Bread-and-Butter Syndrome.

Some General Observations –

The African artist needs to understand the past in order to forge out a future.
If the past is relevant to the present, whose past is it and how can that past be categorized and aligned to the future.
What constitutes the present and what is the situation of the present in relation to our theme and goal as artists and members of an (organized) community?

Contributions broached on

The question value and meaning of art
Sites where art can be encountered
The value of art as a culturally relevant enterprise.

Recommendations

Against the background of the abstracts received for the conference and the papers presented, and in line with reports of the conference panels, the conference resolves as follows:

There is the need to put art and research in Africa into a secure historical and social context with a clear understanding of the nature and the periodization of art historical events.
There is the need to begin the documentation of private and public galleries and their collections. Art patrons should be encouraged to realize that the historic, aesthetic and financial value of their collections will be enhanced by documentation and publication.
The conference recognizes that its own success in attracting international sponsorship and participation should provide a basis for further international events of all kinds: workshops biennales, conferences, among others, as a way of catalyzing real development in the art scene in Africa.
Artists in Africa today need cooperation across organizations, institutions, and agencies that exhibit art, the government, the media and the community at large. The conference insists that art commands a peripheral attention inside the continent for many reasons. Though some of the reasons may be linked to the socio-political conditions, others derive from sheer ignorance on the part of policy makers and the prevalent inverted value system which has confounded the meaning and philosophy of development in Africa.
We believe that the above scenario is a derivative of dwindling educational systems and standards that have placed suicidal premium on functionality and commercial value. Art is seen just as a branch of scholarship and no more. Its socializing tendencies and capacities have been grossly devalued by Africa’s bread-and-butter politicians who have held a straitjacketed concept of living. This situation has continued to confine the artist and his vision in the fringe, pitifully distancing art from the centre where it originally belonged.
The conference notes with a deep sense of dismay that the separation of art from politics and technology, though a general misfortune of modern times, has, perhaps, taken its greatest toll inside Africa. While this retards a wholesome development, it has also encouraged African artists to look elsewhere for the necessary encouragement which they cannot find at home. The situation also provides a sustainable basis for the domination of the study and propagation of African art by foreigners, some of whom do not address the subject with creditable objectivity.
We are worried that the above may be a function of the continued involvement by government of unqualified people in the administration of art and related matters in most African countries. In most cases, these people turn out to be miserable, fire-eating politicians and bureaucrats whose concern rarely transcends their pockets and the scramble for the spoils of office. This fact remains the bane of art development in Africa.
The absence at the conference of most of the invited special guests from private and public galleries, museums, art and culture councils, culture ministries (and others), ECOWAS, O.A.U., UNESCO, and other such organizations leaves a cold towel on the shoulders of the conferencees and the artists at large. Indeed, it is a collage we cannot put together. But we strongly believe that it is a glaring testimony of the anti-art, anti-intellectual attitude that characterize government and leadership in Africa and transform our society into a glorified zoo, rather than a dignified human community where all creative persons can freely pursue excellence and make positive, if sustainable, contributions to the perpetuation of society and mankind.
In the face of the above recitals, it would be contrary to common sense and, of course, stranger than logic, if the conference gives the governments a pass mark in their performance in art promotions and patronage. The neglect of culture and the marginalisation of art and artists are some of the greatest misfortunes of modern Africa. Until we all realize and acknowledge that there is art in everything and that every sane and progressive society needs its artists as much as it does its politicians, scientists, soldiers, and sportsmen, Africa’s sense of development shall remain truncated and twisted and the soul of the society shall continue to suffer from a certain sterility which art, and nothing else, can heal.

In the light of these resolutions, we solemnly aver that art in its nature is an indispensable social paraphernalia of culture. Although art has not always been created by artists for this purpose, it indeed has proved to be of immense value to man of all times and ages. It is in this regard that we call on the governments first and foremost and public spirited individuals to encourage the artist to continue to produce for humanity.

Issued this 4th day of May, 2002 by the International Advisory Council of The Pan-African Circle of Artists.

The Pan-African Circle of Artists will welcome any assistance from individuals and organizations towards the publication and circulation of these reports and proposed book of proceedings.