By Prisca Sam-Duru

In a bid to help transform arts management, conservation, and education in West Africa, the Mellon Foundation, a renowned patron of arts and culture across the globe, has awarded a $3 million grant to the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), located in Benin City, Nigeria.

The funding is a critical step toward MOWAA’s goal of further developing and transforming arts management, conservation, and education in West Africa.

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) was formed in 2020 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of heritage, the expansion of knowledge, and the celebration of West African arts and culture. Through ongoing partnerships, MOWAA offers programs and resources that foster deeper connections between contemporary art and culture and the rich heritage of West Africa while creating a center of excellence for African and diaspora artists and scholars.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding.

Speaking about the grant, MOWAA’s Executive Director, Philip Ihenacho said, “We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their generous support. This grant will allow us to establish world-class facilities and programs that will elevate the management and conservation of our rich cultural heritage.”

Over the next three years, the award will support vital initiatives such as arts management, skill development, career opportunities through contemporary art residencies and commissions, and archaeological research and heritage management.

MOWAA plans to open its first purpose-built facility- the MOWAA Institute, in November 2024, cementing its status as a center of excellence in arts and heritage research and conservation with a view to servicing museums across West Africa.

The Mellon Foundation’s donation shows a rising appreciation of MOWAA’s capacity to revitalize Benin City as a center for arts and culture in West Africa while also setting new standards for arts education and research in the region.