By Japhet Alakam

“They are doing good job because I am happy today and I think someone else will work hard so that he/she will win next time.”

Igwe Alfred Achebe (2nd L) presents the cheque to the winner Ngozi Omeje, while the husband and representative of Diamond Bank watch.

These were the words of the excited mother of two, Ngozi Omeje, who became N500,000.00 Five hundred thousand Naira richer when her installation work titled Placenta was declared the overall winner of the 2014 Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) during the prize presentation and award night held at the Nike Lake Resort Enugu.

For the average young art graduate or artist in Nigeria, the fear of getting the required resources that will enable them get established in the art industry have become a nightmare.

This is due mainly to the level of art appreciation in Nigeria and the tendency to patronise only established ones. The situation has forced many art graduates to abandon the trade for other business and it was in a bid to arrest this ugly situation that Enugu based Life in My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) was established and ever since its inception 8 years ago all the stories have changed.

The body whose aim is to promote art pan-Nigeria through an annual competition that offers opportunity for young people to showcase and commercialise their productions, win handsome prizes and interact with the larger art community on a national platform has lived up to its bidding as it has really changed the profile of many young artist.

To the organisers, it has been a success story as in spite of the paucity of funds, they have continued to keep the flag flying so that the dreams of the founding fathers will not be defeated. And last weekend, it was another feast of arts at the Nike Lake Resort, as the dream of many young artists continuing in the art business was rekindled with the presentation of various cash prizes to them.

At the well attended event, which was chaired by prominent art loving monarch and patron of LIMCAF, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, with other art patrons like the founder of LIMCAF, Robert Orji, French Ambassador to Nigeria represented by the Cultural Attache, Monsieur Jacques Montourcy, Nkeoma Nmazili, who represented Diamond Bank, the major sponsor and others, the central message was the need to encourage the young artist so that they will be established. And that idea was practicalised as a young mother of two Ngozi Omeje received a cheque of Five hundred thousand Naira as the overall winner while three othersBrenda Emmanuel Chinonso, Mgbeahuru C. Peter and Okonkwo Onyedika went home with Two hundred and fifty thousand Naira each for been the best in Painting/mixed media/drawing, Photography/multimedia/video and Graphics/Textile respectively. There were also consolation prizes for 23 others whose works were shortlisted for the finals.

In his address, the special guest of honour, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, who is also the patron of LIMCAF disclosed that the festival has come of age, has survived 8 years and is becoming stronger every year, adding that the brochure is good and the zones has increased to 11are all positive achievements.

According to him, “African art has come of age in the contemporary art world, African art has broken into the world view, so also in music and literature.”

He commended the organisers of the festival for their tenacity of purpose and thanked the participating artists for their works. On his part, Elder Kalu Uka, chairman of the board who thanked all the supporters said “that we have survived this far is an indication that the labours of the founder and others have not been in vain. He then tasked all to support the young artists by supporting LIMCAF.”

The event also featured a performance by Hycinth Ogbuu and his African Vocals , who thrilled the audience with wonderful renditions in many languages. It also featured Sopuru and his quitar, who took the audience napping with his quitar. The 2014 festival started with the opening of the Limcaf 2014 grand finale featuring top 100 artworks selected from a total of 138 works that qualified for the 8 zones at the National Gallery of Art, Enugu on October 20.

This was followed by the Children art workshop for selected secondary schools from Enugu at Alliance Francaise, Enugu on October, 21 and on October 23, there was a photo exhibition that featured 30 best photographs from Limcaf Pan African photography competition at same value.

There was a CLAM workshop on October 24, at Alliance Francaise where French based Amadi Okorofar who tutored over 25 participants on multmedia design and thereafter the CLAM exhibition opened. Finally, after the breakfast meeting in the morning of October 25, the grand finale/award night took place at Nike Lake Resort.