Liberia Visual Arts Academy and Accountability Lab Re-launch Accountability Arts School for Youth

Press Release by Francis Lansana of Accountability Lab and Leon Wilson of LiVArts.

The Liberia Visual Arts Academy (LIVArts) and the Accountability Lab are pleased to announce the re-launch on Saturday, June 6, of a collaborative Accountability Arts School following a long period of postponement induced by the Ebola crisis. The School will consist of three monthly sessions followed by a public exhibition of the artwork produced by participating students.

The Accountability Lab will offer technical and financial assistance for the initiative while LIVArts will oversee logistics and all aspects of artistic instruction. The implementers express their gratitude to the Daily Observer, which has agreed to publish the top three pieces of artwork produced at each session of the School.

As Leslie Lumeh, Executive Director of LIVArts notes, “accountability is not just about the government. Every individual in society is accountable in one way or another for what they do, for the development and growth of their society. The role of our classes here is to get the children to reflect on this and articulate their perspectives on that position through art.” He adds that the class is invaluable for educating Liberian youth as “art is very direct. It makes the individual actually create; from an artistic idea springs knowledge and the ability to critically think and discern good from bad. This is the foundation of good citizenship.”

Assisting Mr. Lumeh in classroom instruction are Frank Dwuye and Duke Appleton, founder of Artists without Borders. The School’s enrollment will be drawn from approximately thirty students in LIVArts’ Kids Power Program.

About the Liberia Visual Arts Academy

The Liberia Visual Arts Academy was founded in 2009. It aims to provide a safe haven for children, an outlet for their free expression and creativity, and a means to instill a sense of patriotism and grounding in their country’s achievements.

The mission of LIVArts is to train young Liberians in the visual arts as a means to empower themselves, contribute to the creative vision of their communities, and promote understanding across cultures. LIVArts offers two core programs – a Kids Power program targets young children while a Certificate Program targets teens and young Adults. LIVArts is a Nongovernmental organization registered with Liberia’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs and accredited as a professional education institution by the Ministry of Education.

About the Accountability Lab

The Accountability Lab co-creates innovative tools to fight corruption and build accountability. The Lab helps creative people and organizations develop tools and communities that will hold power-holders responsible. The Lab supports imaginative projects in developing countries with a focus on youth, technology, and sustainability. It has supported a variety of initiatives in the visual arts, including an ongoing mural campaign and the production of an accountability comic book series.

Read more recent news on the Lab and follow the organization on Twitter and Facebook.

eedev