"Insisting on Beauty": Dr. Betsy Okello Writes for The Children's Arts Guild
Dr. Besty Okello appeared as a guest blogger this past week on The Children Arts Guild website. Please enjoy her lovely reflection on the connection between her experience with Kenyan artists and the art of teaching.
I first went to Kisumu, Kenya as an undergraduate anthropology major at the University of Notre Dame. It was my first trip outside of the country, and I was unsure what to expect. My traveling companion left after only two days overwhelmed by the experience of living in Nyalenda, the informal settlement area that would become my home. Alone in a new environment, I explored, played with children, made friends, ate new foods, learned new languages, and marveled at the beauty around me in the midst of real suffering.
Mwangaza Art School first captured my attention because it was on the same compound as my small room. The students were around my age so I started spending time there - watching them learn to draw figures, paint, sing, and play drums. I enjoyed their company and envied their creativity. I also came to a deeper understanding of the arts. Too often we assume that artistic talent is a natural ability—that one is born gifted and creative and the rest of us are unlucky. However, watching artists at work, I came to see that these students were working hard to become artists. They were learning to sketch, to mix colors, to learn perspective, and to seek and find beauty. These skills were taught and learned, not bestowed upon a lucky few at birth.
