"Pleasures of Africa" make American debut

The Nile River, Lake Victoria, and Zanzibar arrive in Warren Thursday night through the inspiration of East African painter Edison Mugalu, pictured at left. The open house at the new Warren Arts Center on Second Avenue hosts the American debut exhibition from 7 to 9 p.m. Open to the public through July 4.

Brought to the U.S. through the auspices of the U. S. State Department and Warren native Danielle Reiff, an officer for USAID in Kampala, Uganda, the collection of paintings are most highly valued as an example of authentic contemporary African art. Mugalu is a self-taught artist not influenced directly by European schools of art.

The Warren show will be Mugalu's 16th exhibition, following numerous exposures of his work in Tanzania and Uganda. His paintings have so far been sold only in Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia.

For more information on the artist, visit his website at http://www.edisonmugalu.net/
Gallery photos are courtesy the Warren Arts Center and may not be used without permission.

The artist's philosophy is summed up in a poem he has written, celebrating his native Uganda:

"The pleasures of Africa, the pleasures of Africa
We are about to get there, just in a minute.
I can now hear kids laughing
With joy in a short distance
The wet swamps, valleys, trees, hills and mountains
The beautiful stones, sand beaches and sky blue waters
I can now interpret the forms
Colors are relaxing
And company giving
People love and people are loved.
Let it rain
Let it shine
On the same day
For they are the pleasures of Africa"

The Warren Arts Center is a project of Mainstreet Warren, a non-profit community organization located at 310 Pennsylvania Avenue, Warren PA 16365. For more information, call 814-723-1360. Photo of Warren Arts Center is Copyright 2008 by Chris Lareau.

Comments

[Chris Lareau]

Just google their names and you will see what I mean.

[Chris Lareau]

Yeah, there's a lot. Check out local artists Thomas Paquette and Irish Smith.

[Denise]

It always amazes me the amount of local artistic talent and the quality art shows that are brought into Warren. It's a wonderful cultural experience for a small town.