American school to teach Rwandan art

The American high school Gallery 37 Center for The Arts is planning to introduce Rwandan art on its curriculum, art teacher Sonja Henderson has said.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The American high school Gallery 37 Center for The Arts is planning to introduce Rwandan art on its curriculum, art teacher Sonja Henderson has said.

Sonja Henderson was the team leader who led the team of six teenagers that jetted into Rwanda recently; in a Girls Exchange program sponsored by a local NGO WE-ACT.

"Look at the baskets, every design, a lot of art pieces in Rwanda inspired us so much,” Sonja said before leaving Rwanda.

Sonja said that Rwanda’s inspiring art will be included in the school’s curriculum by next year. She added that there are other African fabrics that carried African art or paintings have always been so rich and inspiring in the western world.

The fervent art teacher told The New Times that a lot of the art pieces her school had started making before the school thought about introducing Rwandan inspired art on its curriculum.

Art student Ketija Ratniece, pointed out that African fabrics and other art pieces that had paintings including Rwanda’s art have been some of her favorites.

Having inherited artistic talent from her father,  Ketija told The New Times that depending on the kind of art piece, artist’s experience boosted by the talent, making a Rwandan art piece can range from one week to three months.

The Girls Exchange programs donated a mural art piece to Nyacyonga Health Center priced at Frw 13 million and had two girl teams from USA and Rwanda share ideas on how to fight HIV/AIDS among youth more especially the teens.

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