La Foundation is Fighting for the Future of Ghana's Art Ecosystem

“It’s always been a passion for arts,” Ama Bartels-Kodwo, the development and fundraising coordinator at LAFA says of the founding vision behind the foundation. “There's a strong desire to see the art system in Ghana grow to the same standards as all the other cultures in the world. We realized that we were losing local talent because a lot of them had become disenfranchised. They didn't have the resources, they didn't have support, and some didn't even know where to start.” This is the gap La Foundation is working to fill.

Alongside curating and exhibiting works from emerging artists (they’ve worked with over 50 artists so far), the foundation also organizes workshops, provides resources to enable underrepresented or economically challenged artists to produce their work, and puts up interactive events where these artists can connect with more established figures. The team also trains unrepresented artists on contracting, legal proceedings and other business-related concerns that would otherwise be challenging for them to navigate independently. In an ecosystem still in relative infancy, the foundation is laying the groundwork for the explosive artistic boom expected to emerge from Ghana.

Steady progress

When LAFA first opened, Bartels-Kodwo did not think it would be difficult to find artists to support and nurture. Yet, she has been, as she puts it, “blown away by the number of people who are just willing.” The foundation has seen no shortage of artists to support.

Sometimes artists write, email or simply walk into the space to inquire about available support — an unconventional approach to things in the typically exclusive art world. With this door-wide-open policy, emerging artists are not deterred by industry gate-keeping or scared off by potentially exploitative art institutions. “It's exciting to see, and it just makes it all the more fulfilling,” Bartels-Kodwo says. “[This] just proves the point that people were just looking for help. Sometimes if I'm driving by and I see somebody and I'm like, ‘hmm this is solid stuff,’ I will approach the person.”

This close connection with the community allows the team to stumble on talent and be the first to extend support to them so they aren't forced, as is often the case, to seek better opportunities at better-developed art ecosystems. This raw talent shines through in the exhibitions and provides space for a variety of stories and perspectives. “Every exhibition is different because you're working with different artists and everybody has a different experience and story. The beauty of it is bringing it all together to make it work,” Bartels-Kodwo says.

Building a foundation for the future

Events and institutions like the Accra Culture Week, which curates a list of vibrant events and tours that offer an enriching education on the Ghanaian art scene; the Dikan Center, which offers free access to a rich photography library; and La Foundation are all working towards a vibrant future for Accra’s art scene. Bartels-Kodwo believes that institutionalized support from the government will go a long way in growing the arts scene.

“To institutionalize the art sector would be a good start because it's a huge avenue for tourism,” Bartels-Kodwo notes. “I mean, look at everybody here today exploring contemporary African art. And it's a huge avenue for us to be able to tell our own story. And so whatever can be done to protect and institutionalize such a sector would be a good step in the right direction.”

Ultimately, as the industry continues to grow, the mission at the heart of La Foundation’s existence is simple but incredibly crucial. As Bartels-Kodwo says, “We want to be able to say that we didn't lose these people because there were no resources available for them to grow in Ghana, [that] they had to find [them] somewhere else. [We want to be able to say] we took care of our own.”