Let me say that I do not consider myself the bold, adventurous type… so when the curator of Art in Embassies called me to offer me the opportunity to travel to Nairobi to participate in an Artist Exchange , I was excited but quite nervous…. I knew almost nothing about Nairobi, let alone Kenya… During my program, I encountered students and artists that share almost all of the concerns that I have: creativity, vision, technical skills, and making a living as a professional artist. – Timothy Chapman
In September of 2014, artist Timothy Chapman was invited to travel to Nairobi, Kenya for a four day Artist Exchange. Chapman, who describes his colorful painting of animals as, “humorous, …maybe a little eccentric but always respectful ”…, was selected by U.S. Ambassador Godec and his wife Lori Magnusson to be included in the Art in Embassies exhibition for their residence. Chapman‘s Artist Exchange included PowerPoint presentations of his work, meetings with local artists and critiquing student work. During his stay in Nairobi, the artist visited the Kenya High School where he shared his body of work and career milestones with a group of between 70-80 female students, followed by a Q&A. Chapman also went to the Moi Forces Academy Lanet, a Public National Girls High School situated in Lanet. At Kenyatta University, an 11- campus public university in Kenya, one of seven public universities in the country, Chapman did a presentation for an audience of around 120 students. These experiences “stand out for me… and hopefully the future artists (or professionals of any kind) in each of my audiences will be encouraged to follow their passion with the knowledge that their path might not be easy, but it will be worth their effort.”
In addition to the lectures and presentations, an important component of the program was the studio visits with Kenyan artists, either in their home (Elijah Ooko, Andrew Kamiti) or at the GoDown artist’ cooperative ( Michael Soi, Patrick Mukabi, Tom Mboya). At Banana Hill Gallery, Chapman selected some works to be exhibited at U.S. Ambassador Godec‘s home. These artworks were featured during a reception at the residence at which the artist spoke about his work and addressed questions from the guests in attendance…”Sending an American artist to be with artists and students of other cultures functions as the lowering of a huge barrier. When individuals and small groups can meet over common interest in learning about and producing art, we can all see one another as citizens of a single world, with so much more in common than any political philosophies would have us think. It is a powerful remedy to the ignorance and prejudices we all carry within us.”
