Speaking shortly after the opening, Pirjo Vallius and Pirjo Latomaki-Jagne, the general manager and administration manager of the Gepardi cultural Association, said that the association has arranged a six-month pilot project in The Gambia. The pair, who are both lecturers from HelsinkiFinland, said the project is in art education and hand-printing for Gambian youths aged between 18 and 25. In all 16 students are taking part with the group split evenly between the sexes.

According to them, the training programme includes work such as drawing, painting, increased knowledge of colours, murals and hand-printing.

The teachers involved were , Pirjo Vallius and Pirjo Latomaki-Jagne along with Gambians Dawda Secka, Alieu Joof and Abdoulie Bah.

The two Finish lecturers revealed that this is the second phase of a two-year project which will be followed by a three-year training programme. They added that the works at the exhibition are on sale and the proceeds of the sale will be ploughed back into the students and the programme.

Among the co-operative partners involved in the project are Fawegan, TallindingLowerBasicSchool and Timbooktoo Bookshop.

The advisor of the association is Alhagie Ceesay from the National Council of Arts and Crafts.

In his remarks at the occasion, the vice-chairman of the Comrade Ebou Madi Sillah Foundation, Mr. Badou Senghore, said the art exhibition was organised to raise funds for the foundation.

He revealed that the late Ebou Madi Sillah contributed immensely to the development of art in The Gambia. He expressed the foundations readiness to help develop and improve art in Gambian schools.

He praised the late Baboucarr Gaye for his tremendous contribution to the development of art in The Gambia.

For his part, the younger brother of the late Ebou Madi Sillah applauded the guests for accepting their invitation.

He stated that the foundation had organised the exhibition to try and develop art in schools in The Gambia.

The National Youth Parliament, in conjunction with Gambia Gold Award Holders Association, spearheaded the 2008 Grand Exhibition which recently concluded.

The four-day exhibition was held at Westfield and Gunjur. It was attended by 500 participants from all over The Gambia.

The premise of the exhibition was to strengthen youth partnership and collaboration. During the course of the exhibition the participants availed of the opportunity to learn, interact, socialise and share experiences.

The participants also engaged in a number of interesting activities such as capacity building in leadership, blood donation, skills sharing and intergenerational dialogue.

Another integral part of the programme was the fact that various participants embarked on community service within the community of Gunjur.

A three-week exhibition was officially opened recently at the Sunbeach Hotel and Resort at Cape Point in Bakau. The exhibition consists of a wide range of Gambian artwork ranging from modern to eccentric and traditional to sacred. The aim of the show is to let tourists have a broader understanding of Gambian art and culture. The architect of the artwork, Mr. Etu Ndou, posited that this show of painting, where art and interesting artwork are displayed, will open a window for tourists to gaze at some contemporary art creations, different from the traditional art available on the tourist market. Mr. Ndow thanked the management of Sunbeach for giving him the opportunity and support they have by hosting the event. He says this backing will greatly help his career. He also paid his regards to a volunteer called Makalale.

Mr. Olivier Petit, the General Manager of the hotel, maintained that his resort believes in responsible tourism. This, he says, is based on harmonizing the relationship between the population of Bakau and those visiting. He said bringing tourists into close contact with the work of local artists is an excellent way of achieving this goal.

He stated that the exhibition is to show that The Gambia is involved in all forms of artistic expression and not just music. In conclusion Mr. Petit confirmed that the exhibition will allow tourists to discover the culture and tradition of The Gambia.

2007 Informonth (IT Month), the annual exhibition for IT & 3C industries every winter in Taiwan, started in Taipei on December 1st and will run until December 9th in the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC). Government officials, such as President of the Republic of China Shui-bian Chen, Premier of the Republic of China Chun-hsiung Chang, Commissioner of Council for Cultural Affairs Chin-chu Weng, Minister of Economic Affairs Steve Ruey-long Chen, Minister of Education Cheng-sheng Du, and Minister of Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission Fu-mei Chang participated and visited this show to support the IT industry in Taiwan.

Due to several conflicts between political factions, the Pan-Green and Pan-Blue Coalitions, Taipei Computer Association, the organizer of IT Month, changed their plan to hold the Opening Ceremony at the second floor of the TWTC.

Not only did President Shui-bian Chen praise the progression of the IT and Networking industries in Taiwan, but Chun-hsiung Chang also replied to some comments on "Looking Down Taiwan" by a candidate of 2008 Taiwan Presidential Elections Ying-jeou Ma and confidently said, "Since the IT Month can showcase the achievements on the IT and Networking industry, why can Ma deliberately vilify those industries for his votes?" And before the executives left the TWTC, Cheng-sheng Du answered, "Obey the laws" to the media as they asked about the recent issue of "Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness".

It wasn't just politicians that attended, however. The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Council of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Environmental Protection Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Taipei City Government, National Science Council, National Palace Museum, and National Taiwan University Hospital all participated in the show to showcase their industry solutions and milestones of IT and networking industries.

Two Gambian children, Omar Sanyang and Alex Gomez of Old Jeshwang Lower Basic School, received awards on Wednesday for their participation in World Schoolchildren’s Art Exhibition. The event was held from the 16 - 31 October 2007 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Omar Sanyang received the Bronze certificate award while his schoolmate Alex received the selected certificate award.

Presenting the awards to the winners at his office in Kanifing, the Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia, Dr Patrick Chang, described the event as significant as it seeks to bring together Taiwan and participant countries. He also congratulated the winners and encouraged more children from The Gambia to take part in the 39th exhibition, which takes place next year.

The Taiwanese envoy also presented cash prizes to the winners and their teacher instructors.
Mr Tu, the Taiwanese Minister of Education, and Mr Long-Rong Wu, the Chairman of the organizing committee signed the awards.

The World Schoolchildren’s Art Exhibition aims to promote cross-cultural understanding among the younger generation. The annual event is organized by the Association for Education through Art, Republic of China and the Association of Formative Art Education for the Republic of China.

To be Eligible for participation in the next event school children must be aged between 6-15 years. Over 70 children have participated worldwide.

The art works presented this year included oil paintings, water color, wood cut prints, pencil sketches, crayon drawings, pastels, collages, etching and graphic designs.

The Taiwanese Technical mission in The Gambia yesterday organized an exhibition of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and tomato at the newly built Agricultural Marketing Produce Centre in Banjulunding.

The event, which was the first of its kind to be hosted at the centre, attracted many people from different walks of life.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Patrick Chang, Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia gave a brief history of the centre.

According to him the centre was built at a cost of ten million Dalasis, adding that the project was jointly funded by the Taiwanese Technical mission, Action Aid The Gambia, and the Department of State for Agriculture.

He said the Centre would be used for agricultural marketing like this. “We welcome more people in contributing to agricultural development. We want to see more areas of land cultivated, ”he said.

Among other produce displayed was the fresh Gambian rice known as brown rice. This particular variety of rice according to Ambassador Chang is very useful for diabetes patients as it contains vitamin A.

Sulayman Trawally, permanent secretary at the Department of State for Agriculture, said the facilities of ‘this nature’ would encourage farmers to produce more products. He said it would also contribute towards the attainment of the country’s food self- sufficiency programme.

He thanked the Taiwanese government for their continued support to The Gambia in almost all sectors of development.

Mrs. Naffie Barry, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment expressed similar sentiments.

Kadija Sambou, President Banjulunding Women Farmers, applauded the Technical mission for serving as a relief for them. She also thanked President Jammeh for empowering Gambian women.

Invites Entries to Arts & Craft Competition

In a bid to encourage more innovations in the arts and craft industry and revive the flagging fortunes of artists and artisans selling their handiworks to tourists in The Gambia, the Association of Small-Scale Enterprises in Tourism, better known as ASSET, is inviting arts and craft entries that will form part of an exhibition from 18 to 24 October 2007, with particular emphasis on freshness of ideas (originality) and presentation.

The competition, which will be held at ASSET’s Cultural Encounters located on the first floor of the Timbooktoo building along Garba Jahumpa road between October 15 and 18, 2007, looks forward to attracting artists and people involved in the business of carving objects into shapes and designing materials into decorative works, targeting tourists as prospective buyers.

ASSET’s rationale behind the idea is to challenge artists and artisans to go soul-searching for fresh ideas that will give originality and quality in the end-product of their works. Such a competition is intended to whet the appetite of the average Gambian artist to explore new ideas that will help them produce more quality. Products for the consuming tourists. The wisdom in boosting the overall standard of art products intended for the tourist. Industry could not have come at a more challenging time, when potential buyers of these products have become more critical and demanding. It is hardly easy to discount the charge that year after year, the lack of originality for carvings, designs and paintings, has had little or no inspirational touch of note for those who should be buying them with keen interest.

Two years ago, the first such competition had sparked off a debate over what is available as exportable Gambian art and what an increasingly choosy flock of tourists wants as prized artifacts from Gambia. Such observations of Gambian art usually come from departed tourists to friends and would-be guests whose appetite for “made in The Gambia” products of art are as a result, reduced before their arrival. What ASSET wants is a complete revival in Gambian art, to excite keener interest in products from the indigenous art industry - an interest which by its reckoning should endure well beyond the sell-by date of the average holiday package to The Gambia. Art in whatever form is a living tissue, nourish it with originality and it glistens with life. Starve it with stagnant ideas and it suffers death. In line with this concept of revival ASSET’s Product Development Committee are looking for entries into two categories of the competition namely, the practical genre, which could include any item or body of items that may be of practical use to the beneficiary, and the decorative category, which may include any item or body of items that appeals to the sensual characters of man.

The first prize for each category is a cash award of D10, 000 with the right to a FREE STAND at the October 3 1st 2007, MBOKA tourism fair in Dakar, Senegal, thrown into the bargain. The second prize for both categories is D5, 000.

The competition, whose entry forms are available at ASSET’s Garba-Jahumpa office for D50, has a set of rules, which prospective competitors must abide by namely: product must be made in The Gambia and should be submitted to the ASSET office between 8 - 12 October, 2007, more than one product can be submitted by a competitor, products can be made of any material or a combination of more than one material, competitors should recognize the committee’s right to admit entries based on its judgement of what is new and of acceptable quality. Also as part of its rules is the acceptance by competitors that products must be made available in the entire duration of the exhibition, which will end on October 24th, Between October 15 and 18, 2007, a panel of judges will determine the winners who will be duly notified.