The bi-annual Art in the Park Festival has become a hub for visual artists who apply every May and October, hoping to exhibit their work and make sales.
The three-day event, organised by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm), was created to bring attention to the organisation’s environmental conservation efforts.
According to organisers, another key objective was to provide a platform for visual artists, especially painters, to exhibit their work to art lovers while encouraging more Malawians to support local art.
Wesm chairperson Nick Hall underscored the importance of the event in bringing together artists and creating a platform where more Malawians come to experience and appreciate art.
“There is talent in the country and we would like to see more Malawians patronise the festival so that they appreciate the art work that the artists put effort in. We also want more artists to be part of this,” he said.
Since it started, the festival has gained backing from several partners who, alongside Wesm, have helped shape it into the event it is today as it expands to include more artists.
Government has on several occasions commended Wesm’s efforts, recognising the festival’s role in fostering the economic development of the creative industry and giving artists a market for their work.
Art in the Park is now a fixture in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture’s certified calendar of arts festivals and events.
The ministry’s arts director Humphreys Mpondaminga said the event has so far highlighted the business side of the arts and is showcasing the potential in contributing to the economic development of the country.
The festival marked its 11th edition when it was held from October 4 to 6 this year. The event’s 2024 edition was dubbed Arts and Craft in the Park.
For the first time, the festival featured not only visual artists, but also creators from other fields. Alongside the usual paintings and drawings, the venue was decorated with crafters, sculptors, potters, photographers and metal artists.
“For this edition, we decided to include other creators to achieve a gender balance. There are more male painters than female. In contrast, crafts have a more equal gender ratio,” said Hall.
Looking ahead, he revealed that plans are underway to expand the festival by incorporating more artists from different industries.
“We began with just painters, but now we have grown and we are still not as large as we’d like to be. However, our ambition is to make this an international festival full of activities, potentially involving musicians and other creatives,” he added.
On the final day, many craft exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the festival, describing it as a great market and exposure opportunity. Some were happy to meet new potential customers while others secured commissioned work despite not making direct sales.
Artistry Sisters, were among the new exhibitors. The women led group specializes in creating beaded jewelry and accessories, hand-crafted yarn-dolls and upcycled denim clothing.
The group’s representative Fanny Chidoola applauded the platform for the opportunities it brought in term of expanding their market.
One exhibitor Francis Kapanda, who goes by the name Kind and has participated in previous editions, praised the organisers for the expanded lineup. He noted that the inclusion of more art forms added variety to the event.
At the festival, Standard Bank, one of the event’s key sponsors, had its own display at the venue. Beyond the exhibitions that feature 60 artists, the festival also featured live music performances, poetry readings, sip-and-paint sessions, workshops, and a scavenger hunt for children.
The festivals design and set-up is one of the highlights of the festival that has also greatly improved. Now artists exhibit their works on elevated boards.
Among the exhibitors was one visual artists from Zimbabwe. As the festival expands it continues to mark its place as one among the major events on Malawi’s cultural calendar, with government officials and partners lauding Wesm’s efforts to promote the creative arts industries.
