AFRICA GLOBAL: ELEVATING AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY ART

BY BABACAR MBOW

 

Since 2000, the Ten North Arts Foundation has championed the promotion of the artistic and cultural expressions of people of African descent. Through its Art of Transformation initiative, the organization is committed to bridging and safeguarding the heritage of the African continent and its Diaspora.

Located in Opa Locka, north of Miami Dade County, the municipality reflects pan-African migration with a huge population of African Americans, continental Africans, Caribbean, South, and Central Americans of African descent. The Ten North Arts Foundation has positioned itself in the community as an engine for creative collaborations to strengthen the ties between Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.

The Foundation’s cultural travel exchange program facilitates annual visits to five African countries for art acquisition. Through this initiative, renowned African contemporary artists such as Abdoulaye Konaté (Mali), Barthélémy Toguo (Cameroon), Viyé Diba (Senegal), George Edozie (Nigeria), and Siriki Ky (Burkina Faso) have gained recognition in the Miami art scene. As a result, the organization has become one of the largest private collectors and curators of African contemporary art in the United States. Also, many American collectors have been inspired to join the Foundation in visits to African art Fairs such as the Lagos Biennale, Nigeria; the African Biennale of Dakar, Senegal; Segou Art, Mali and 154 Marrakesh, Morocco.    

Another key initiative drawing contemporary visual artists from Africa, Haiti, and the African Diaspora to Miami every year is the AFRICA GLOBAL event, held every December in conjunction with Art Basel Miami. This “Art of Transformation” project stands as a hallmark of Pan-African cultural integration, providing a dynamic platform that enhances South Florida’s economic, cultural, and tourism potential.

AFRICA GLOBAL features a series of exhibitions, panel discussions, performances, and film projections to explore issues in African and African Diaspora contemporary art and to provide opportunities for increased visibility for African artists. In the past, the event has showcased “Obiageli,” the artwork of a Nigerian artist, George Edozie, whose works have been collected by major museums of contemporary art in the U.S. such as the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami Florida, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Harlem Studio Museum.

Recognizing the vital role that arts and culture play in the holistic development of a community, the Ten North Arts Foundation operates at the intersection of art, design, and public space. It amplifies key voices in the ongoing conversation at the heart of art, community, and cultural representation.