Artist Residency in Ghana

ARTIST RESIDENCY IN GHANA

Cross Cultural Collaborative is offering an artist residency August 17-31, 2015 open to 10 artists working in any medium. If you'd like more information contact aba@culturalcollaborative.org
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 15, 2015
This is an opportunity to mentor young Ghanaian artists - exhibit in a gallery in Accra and explore cross cultural exchange.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GHANA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GHANA On March 6, 1957 Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence from a colonial power.

Come join us July 19 - August 1 to celebrate  http://www.culturalcollaborative/textile2014.pdf We'll drum and dance - visit the market women- galleries - museums and have workshops at Aba House in traditional African textile techniques.

WHY ARE AFRICAN TEXTILES IMPORTANT? One of our concerns in Ghana is the loss of traditional textile techniques. Young artisans want to be modern and also don't want to do the tedious work required to be authentic. There was a time when it took a weaver three months to make a kente cloth. Now, many weavers rush to get cloth ready for the five day market. And now the traditional stamped adinkra cloth is giving way to silk screen. Visually a very different look. Why? Silk screened images can be bigger, ink is cheaper and printing is faster. Adinkra stamping is a cultural tradition in Ghana and one immediately recognized as being unique. Silk screened adinkra isn't. Ironically, there's an adinkra symbol that means: PEOPLE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR HISTORY ARE LIKE A TREE WITHOUT ROOTS.

The image above is silk screened. Soon the stamped cloth is going to be a collectors item.

Puffin Grant

We are happy to announce that we have been awarded a 2012 Puffin Foundation Grant to continue our work in Ghana this summer. This grant was awarded to fund our project in Nungua which will help connect local artisans and tourists visiting our village.

We are looking forward to a productive summer!

Village Food

This refers to food planted and eaten on the farm.

A farmer brings a pot, salt and fire to the farm and when the harvest is ready, he can eat.

My favorite is maize (corn) and groundnuts (peanuts.) Add water and salt and bring to a boil.

Simple, but really delicious.

VIDEOS

If you'd like to see how we make paper at Aba House:

http://www.youtube.com/abahousekids

If you'd like to be in the picture, come volunteer. We are interested in all of your skills that can be taught to our kids.

We have some donated computers..would you like to come do a workshop on how to use them for self publishing? aba@culturalcollaborative.org

Want to see some more videos? On the VIDEO page at http://www.culturalcollaborative.org see how to make glass beads, print adinkra cloth and drum without drums. It just takes imagination.

African textile workshop

Once upon a time, in Ewe villages of Ghana, women would save a small piece of each piece of cloth that they bought and add it to a patchwork. For those with alot of cloth this was a public display of wealth.

The culture of African cloth is so fascinating that we offer a workshop each summer where participants can learn textile techniques from African artisans, visit museum and galleries, cloth markets and villages.

African textile workshop in Ghana

August 2- 15, 2009

Workshops and accommodations are at Aba House, a building based on indigenous African architecture located in a fishing village across the street from the ocean. Attending will give the unique opportunity of interacting with Ghanaians on a personal level.

You can download a brochure at http://www.culturalcollaborative.org

or contact aba@culturalcollaborative.org