WE have just received an excellent catalogue of the exhibition, Arts de la vallée de la Bénoué Nigeria (Nigeria – Arts of the Benue River Valley) which is taking place at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, France from November 13, 2012 to January 27, 2013. The exhibition no doubt shows some 150 impressive wood, terracotta and metal sculptures demonstrating the diversity of cultures and the creative genius of the peoples of the Benue Valley.

At the 2012 Garden City Literary Festival, Veronique Tadjo presented a keynote paper on the theme, African Women and Literature. The event, which held at the Cinema Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt was robustly discussed by a panel of discussant that comprised; Prof. Onyemachi Udumukwu, Ms Doren Baingana and Miss Chibundu Onuzo and was moderated by Chioma Opara. Today, Vanguard’s arts presents a rapporteur’s report on the Symposium as recorded by Dr. Obari Gomba and Mr. Ene Igbifa.

The four special documentaries will follow the exploits of participants in the leadership programme Desmond Tutu leads, which attempts to build a new network of African leaders who are together committed to tackling their countries’ most stubborn problems.

I first met Dr. Remigius Onyejekwe Oriaku in the last days of December 1991. I met him at the famous Faculty of Arts quadrangle of the University of Ibadan (UI). That day, the usual hustle and bustle of Yuletide was palpable. The haze which came with the dust of December hung over the entire University landscape that was screened off by the imposing faculty building.

It wore two caps: politics and literature. As politics,the 2nd annual Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu Colloquium preached unity and peace in a country wrecked by the evils of ethnicity, terrorism and corruption. As literary, it promoted education and used its rich heritage to preach unity by honouring the literary icon, the late author Cyprian Ekwensi by naming its new e- library the Cyprian Ekwensi Library.

Creative Alliance, organisers of Literary Star Search contest, in association with WriteHouse Collective, a creative enterprise, culture and arts firm, will convene the January edition of Artmosphere, the quintessential music, poetry, performance and arts event in Nigeria in Ibadan. Significantly, winner of the 2012 edition of the N1 million short story prize contest will be announced.

Naija’s Most Wanted, a musical concert often staged as one of the top notch events during the Calabar Christmas Festival has never failed to live up to its billing as one of Nigeria’s top-flight music concerts.

Section 30 of the Pension Reform Act 2004 established the Civil Service Pension Department; the Military Pension Department; the Police Pension Department; the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department and the Security Agencies Pension Department and called the departments, Pension Transitional Arrangement Departments.

The year 2012 was a busy year for the visual art sector, one of the sectors in the Tourism, Culture and National Orientation ministry as it witnessed a flurry of activities from both established and emerging artists, raising hope of a thriving sector if well harnessed.

Penultimate week in Lagos,and precisely at popular event centre, Terra Kulture, Harmattan Haze on African Spring, a book of critical essays written by renowned intellectual and Nobel laureate , Professor Wole Soyinka was presented to the public.

At the 2012 Garden City Literary Festival, Veronique Tadjo presented a keynote paper on the theme, African Women and Literature. The event, which held at the Cinema Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt was robustly discussed by a panel of discussant that comprised; Prof. Onyemachi Udumukwu, Ms Doren Baingana and Miss Chibundu Onuzo and was moderated by Chioma Opara. Today, Vanguard’s arts presents a rapporteur’s report on the Symposium as recorded by Dr. Obari Gomba and Mr. Ene Igbifa.

My brother propped his coarse-haired arms on the seat’s leather armrest and shook his head. “I don’t think you should go, Chika. But no one listens to me,” he said. I watched his eyes. He watched my face. I asked him, “why?” Why shouldn’t I go to Nigeria?

It was indeed a unique exhibition, the first of its kind as Omenka gallery, as part of its bid to put art works in many homes in collaboration with Svengali Designs, a notable furniture home last week organised an exhibition tagged Convergence: an exhibition of art and design objects.

The quest about how Nigeria’s indigenous culture and traditional governance systems could be employed in furthering good governance in contemporary Nigeria was the central concern at the just concluded 3rd National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) annual lecture held in Abuja last week. The lecture was themed; Culture, Good Governance and Nigeria’s Democracy held in Abuja.

In this 21st century when western influence has led to the death of many African cultures, there are still some tribes that are still retaining their cultural heritage. One of such tribes is the Manya Krobo of Krobe Odumase, a small glass bead making community in the Eastern region of Ghana.