A peep into Arts and Crafts Village

Stepping into the premises, one is greeted by the traditional African setting of the environment and its esthetics. There are huts in which locally fabricated items are displayed as other items are being churned out to be displayed as well. “Through an association, African Arts and Cultural Heritage (AACH), artists operating at the Arts and […]

Stepping into the premises, one is greeted by the traditional African setting of the environment and its esthetics. There are huts in which locally fabricated items are displayed as other items are being churned out to be displayed as well.

“Through an association, African Arts and Cultural Heritage (AACH), artists operating at the Arts and Crafts Village operate as like any other market as regards buying and selling, only that it is a specialised market for specialised people with a different type of functionality,” said Mr. Steven Eruada, Public Relations Officer of the AACH.

The village which is divided into three major groups, the visual arts, textile and the crafts is further divided into painting, sculpture and ceramics under the visuals and wood carving, bead making and leather works under the crafts and handiwork.

‘We make it a point to use only locally produced materials in the course of production except where it has become impossible to get such materials locally especially for painting,” said Eruada.

As the only sight with the most concentration of artists in the country, it tells the Nigerian art story in the works deposited there by artists from across the federation and beyond. Art pieces by other artists of African descent are also on display especially when they cannot carry back unsold goods. They liaise with a representative from the village to stand in for them. This also helps tell the story of other African countries and affords visitors the opportunity to buy artifacts from places where they can’t travel to.  

Amidst the abundance of cultural wealth in the village, it is not one that gets to house any exhibition of the various arts events that have taken place in the FCT in recent times. The PRO said, “unlike other countries with such a facility as ours where grants are given to encouraged the growth of art, we do not get any assistance form anywhere to run this place. If we get grants, we can project bulk sales and organise our businesses better.”

The Village which is under the Social Development Secretariat of the FCTA has a staff strength of no less than 2,000 said, Eruada.