As the second annual visual exhibition "Hello East Africa” reaches its climax tomorrow, June 28, participants from across the region are anxious to reap the benefits and opportunities the exhibition brought them.

Ugandan artist, Bruno Tusingwire, also a sculpture and painting lecturer at Kyambogo University, Uganda, told The New Times that exhibiting is not all about competition but rather learning from others.

"It was thrilling for us as artists from East Africa to come and demonstrate our culture through art. We are not competing against each other but rather learning,” said Tusingwire.   

Salum Kambi, from Dar es salaam, Tanzania, laid a communications platform where African stories can be communicated in their original form to analyse how far art has reached. 

"For me art is all about colour. Art has since evolved from exchanging nasty caricatures of each other and fighting to be voted the best. It is a wonderful feeling to see how far we have come,” said Kambi.

"This helps us prepare for bigger opportunities like competing on an international level,” noted Strong Karakire, one of the exhibitors in France late this year.

Epa Binamungu, the head of Isôko Arts Rwanda, the Association of Rwandan visual artists, told The New Times early this week that the second edition of ‘’Hello East Africa’’ 2013, is a testimony to the energy of artists in the dominion of art.  

‘‘At a time when the East African Community calls for unity as well as economic, social and political solidarity among member states, the encounter of visual artists in these countries will be an advantage to creativity in the very prolific fields of painting and sculpture,’’ added Binamungu. 

Samuel Githui, an artist from Kenya, said that this was the time for artists to break the silence and acknowledge the period of art that summons them. "We are grateful to art for the journey through Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda,” noted Githui.

The art pieces range from 300 USD to 2,500 USD.

In his opening remarks, last Friday, the Minister for Sports and Culture, Protais Mitali, called upon the government and other stake holders to strongly support art, saying that it is one way East Africa can communicate its culture to the rest of the world.

"We need to support the arts industry because it helps us as a region not only in understanding our history but also connecting us culturally as a unified East African entity, which is crucial to economic development,” said Mitali.

The week-long "Hello East Africa” art exhibition started on June 21 with exhibitions at Umubano Hotel in Kacyiru and Remera’s Beausejour Hotel.