Mark your Calendars!

Yes, mark it literally, as these are events that you cannot afford to miss!

Artist, Kainebi Osahenye talks about his exhibition Trash-ing with CCA,Lagos Director Bisi Silva. They are also joined in a panel discussion by Uche Edochie and Jess Castellote and guest author Toni Kan, who will review the artworks of Kainebi Osahenye with pages from his books Nights of the Creaking Bed and When a dream Lingers too Long. This is punctuated with a talk at 4pm by Giles Peppiatt, MRICS, Director, Bonhams. Mr Peppiatt's talk will give an overview of the international auction house Bonhams as well as focus on the contemporary African art sales within an international context.

Date: Thursday, 01 October 2009 Time: 2pm Phone: 07028367106
Location: 9 McEwen Street, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos Email: info@ccalagos.org

Chioma and Oluchi Ogwuegbu (we call them the Travelling Sisters) have travelled through 14 countries in Africa, on a mission to Celebrate Africa, bringing the continent’s positive stories to audiences across the world on their website through pictures, blogs and videos.

They are planning to travel through another 23 countries, but before they start the second leg of their mission, they are hosting a fund-raising photo exhibition, with a collection of some of their favourite pictures from around Africa.

They will be selling these images to raise funds to support the next phase of their trip. The exhibition opens on October 2nd 2009 at Jazzhole, 168 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. They will also be speaking about their experiences, as well as giving tips on how to travel through Africa on a budget.

Another Travelling Journalist Exhibits: An online exhibition of photographs to celebrate Nigeria’s 49th anniversary of independence (Oct.1). Billed to run all through October, the virtual slide show, comprising 49 shots taken in twelve capital cities in Nigeria’s Southern region, is also to celebrate this year’s World Tourism Day (Sept 27) celebrations.

Time: Sunday, 27 September 2009 till Saturday, 31 October 2009 at 12:55
Location: journeysaroundnigeria.net
Phone: 2348039732797 Email: peluawofeso@yahoo.com
Please join us at Jazzhole for opening and refreshments on October 2nd 2009 by 6pm.

Nnenna Okore Art Exhibition

Where will you be on June 2oth, 2009?

Nnenna Okore, the talented and internationally acclaimed sculptor and installation artist, returns to Nigeria to hold her first major art exhibition beginning June 20th, 4pm, at the Goethe Institut in Lagos. After series of exhibitions at galleries in the US and the UK, the Assistant Professor of Art at North Park University, Chicago will bring her vibrant and constructive approach to sculptural and installation art to a keen Nigerian art audience. The exhibition will be opened by her former professor and mentor at the University of Nsukka and famed art sculptor in his own right El Anatsui.

Nnenna often uses materials found in urban environments. Her artworks reflect the way that natural and man-made materials evolve, decay and transform, while other pieces can take on the character and flowing shape of traditional woven cloths or elements of nature. She has received several awards and residencies worldwide, and has been exhibited in several prestigious galleries and museums around the world. The German Cultural center, the Goethe Institut are her hosts for this show presented by Kachifo Limited, publishers of Farafina Books.

The show runs at the Goethe Institut from June 20th until July 10th.

Nnenna can be found here; you can contact the organisers by sending an email to: info@kachifo.com.

Opening Date: June 20th, 2009

Time: 4pm

Venue: Goethe Institut, Lagos

RSVP the event here.

A Photographic Exhibition: Jerry Riley

Are you in Toronto? Then this is one exhibition you should plan to attend.

Found Worlds: A Photographic Exhibition by Jerry Riley

Venue: GalleryDK, 1332 Queen St. West, Toronto

Date: Opening June 4th, 2009, 7pm. Exhibition runs until June 29. 2009

"Jerry Riley's Found Worlds explores the secret landscapes left behind by paint's travels through art. These photographs of the evocative, accidental worlds created by the dried remnants of artist Elva Hook's surplus paint fuse Riley's preoccupation with travel landscapes, the repetition of use-value in the artistic process, and the hidden lives of things in our environment. His concurrent exhibition Building 13 reframes the social lives of Toronto's modernist buildings. In Found Worlds, Riley depicts the vast geographies contained in unassuming objects."

For more information on Riley and his works, go here.

More Events To Be At!

Nigeria International Book Fair 2009: The 8th edition of the NIBF organised by the Nigeria Book Fair Trust--Multi-Purpose Hall of the University of Lagos. May 11-16. (Author's groove at the book fair: Authors and critics will be hosted under the theme, "State of Nigerian Literature" at the Multi-purpose Hall, UNILAG, Lagos. 10am. May 15.)

9 Writers, 4 Cities: The Book Tour: A series of book readings, book signings and discussions in four cities: Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, and Warri. Till June 6.

9 Writer's in Lagos: Second leg of the writers' tour--The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos. 2-7pm. May 17.

Araism Movement 5: Ara Studio in collaboration with Mydrim Gallery presents the fifth edition of art exhibitions titled "Araism Movement 5" at Mydrim Gallery Ikoyi, Lagos. 5.00pm. May 16-30.

Quintessence presents Oyerinde Olotu: Oyerinde Olotu's exhibition of portraits of Nigeria's past and present heroes, also works depicting major landmarks and cities at Quintessence, Falomo Shopping Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos. 4.00pm. May 30.

US Cultural envoy visits: Seattle artist, Dionne Haroutunian, visits Nigeria as a US cultural envoy. May 12- 27. The artist will give a lecture at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos. May 27.

The Trials of Brother Jero Plays: The National Theatre/National Troupe of Nigeria in collaboration with the Creative Arts Department, UNILAG and Arambe Productions performs Wole Soyinka's play. May 13-31. Public performance at UNILAG main auditorium, Lagos. 5pm. May 13 & 14.

Words and Pictures (WAPI) in May: With the theme "Got the crunch?" WAPI exhibition holds at the British Council, 20 Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos. Free. 10am-4pm. May 16.

Events To Be At!

Words and Pictures (WAPI): Alliance Francaise hosts Nigerians under the theme "Naija, Yes We Can", 22 Magajin Rumfa Road, Kano. 10 am. May 9.

Theatre @ Terra presents the play "Gbanja Roulette", Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island, Lagos. Every Sunday in May at 3pm and 6pm.

ArtZero in collaboration with Children Living With Cancer Foundation hosts its 3rd edition of "Art on the Mainland" at the National Thatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Exhibition is between May 9 and May 16.

The third Lagos Artists Forum themed "The Artist as a Reporter" holds at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos 11.30 am on May 13.

Events To Be At!

Cultural Festival: Grand finale of the Anioma Cultural Festival. Asaba Arcade, Asaba, Delta State. April 13

Book Presentation: Public presentation of Toni Kan's Nights of the Creaking Bed and Songs of Absence and Despair. Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island. 2pm. April 18

Anatomy of a Woman: Theatre@Terra's presentation of Wole Oguntokun's play. Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island. 3pm & 6pm, Sundays in April.

Beyond the Obvious: An exhibition of paintings by Ade Odunfa, Ogaga Tuodeinye and Sylvester Aigbogun. Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island. 5pm. April 17 to 23.

ANA Meeting: Monthly meeting of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) will hold at the Aina Onabolu Complex, National Gallery of Arts, Iganmu, Lagos. 4pm. April 25.

The World is Flat: An exhibition by Danish curator, Johanne Loegstroup. Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), 9 McEwen Street,Yaba, Lagos.Until May 3.

Ejire: An experimental work on Soyinka's Childe Internationale by Bode Alao. Amphitheatre (Behind new car park) University of Ibadan. 7pm daily. April 22 to May 3.

The Engagement: Femi Osofisan's play by Oracle Repertory Theatre. Amphitheatre (Behind new car park) University of Ibadan, April 22 to May 3. 7.00pm daily

Prize-Winning Writers Visit Abuja

Two Prize-Winning writers, Musa Idris Okpanachi and Uwem Akpan, will be in Abuja for the March 2009 edition of the Guest Writer Session organised by the Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF).

Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian Jesuit Priest, has just joined the list of winners of the Commonwealth Prize for Literature in the Best First Book category of the Africa region. Akpan who started writing fiction ten years ago, was born at Iko Akpan Eda in Akwa Ibom state. He studied Philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities and Theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He has taught English and Literature-in-English in Nigerian secondary schools and received an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. Prior to his Commonwealth Prize for Literature feat, he was on the Caine shortlist.

Musa Idris Okpanachi hails from Kogi Sate and a long-serving member of the Department of English, University of Miaduguri. Dr Okpanachi’s poetry collection, The Eaters of the Living published by Kraft Books Limited won the 2008 ANA/Cadbury Prize for Poetry.  The judges had commented that “Okpanachi reveals himself as the voice of the downtrodden with the uncanny ability to transform simple words into powerful imagery of bullets pulling down the fortress of oppression erected by the members of the ruling class who are depicted as heartless predators.”

The Guest Writer Sessions have been created by the Abuja Writers’ Forum to improve interaction between writers and literary enthusiasts, and boost better publicity and distribution for writers’ works. It takes place on the last Saturday of the month by 4pm at the Pen and Pages Bookstore, 79 Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Wuse 2, Abuja and features side attractions of live music, performance poetry and art exhibition. The Okpanachi-Akpan double-header takes place on March 28, 2009.