Art IST

I was thankfully invited to workshop portion of the Art Teachers Inter-Service Training. This was by far one of the most productive and inspiring Peace Corps training attempts I have endured thus far. A group of no more than 10 of us, were taken on daily field trips to learn about traditional Ghanaian arts. The three workshops were in ceramics, wood carving, and bead making. Each one afforded us the opportunity to see profoundly undervalued craftsman who have dedicated themselves to a life artistic creation.

First Stop: Afari Village outside of Kumasi. We visited the Afari woman’s Pottery Co-op where a group of about 8 woman showed us the process by which they create ceramic pots and grinding bowls for sale throughout Ghana. Although the previous government in power brought several pottery wheels for the women to use, they failed to supply adequate training so the women rely on a traditional method of hand sculpting pots. They are so good at what they do, it is virtually impossible to tell that the pots and bowls they sculpt were not thrown on a pottery wheel.

The shape is perfect without the use of mechanization


They add a thin layer of red clay for their signature look


The woman make over 50 pots and bowls every day

Next Stop: The Foase Wood Carvers. Again Foase is a village right outside of Kumasi which several master carvers call home. We learned about the various types of local highly carveable woods and were able to watch the masters at work. The strength and precision required for this craft is a lot to wrap your mind around. Their work is generally sold to the Kumasi cultural center for resale and someone also mentioned J.C. Penny’s getting a lot of its African decorative art from Ghana, I am assuming the carvers in Foase may have something to do with that.

A master carver sketching out his plans for a mask. He explained that most of the time they don't sketch, they simply see the face come out of the wood as they carve. They are Truly masters.



A few love/fertility idols carved during the 2 hours we were visiting. The carvers are extremely productive.

Last Stop: Bead Making village. Although, the actual bead making process seemed a little mundane to me, in that the skills required to make aesthetically pleasing beads were well within my reach, the village itself was fascinating. As we walked through the village if you looked down you could see hundreds of broken beads and bead making molds that had been swallowed by the Earth. Each of the mud houses had beads sculpted into its clay bricks, not by choice but by circumstance. Every inch of dirt in this entire village was somehow an archaeological tribute to the bead making craft.

We had the opportunity to make some of our own beads:

Picture 2

A close-up of the Bead Mold with cassava twigs placed



The clay oven fired up with all of our bead creations baking inside

Hard at work, placing cassava twigs into the bead molds



The finished product

Students and Puppies

Isla and the Puppies

It turns out Hiawa (Alex’s site) not also names some of its babies after me it also has puppies and students. His dog, Isla who has only three paws (I don’t know why that matters- other than maybe you will someday ask me to tell you the story of how she came to have three paws, which only goes to suggestion incredible strength of character for all parties involved in the odyssey), gave birth the second day I was there to two puppies which we had to go into the bush to find i.e. send students into the bush to find. When they were peeled from their nest, the puppies were brought to Alex’s house where most of the pictures were taken. I mean, who doesn’t like pictures of puppies?

Sleeping Puppies get extra points

Stupidly Cute

A few of Alex's JHS Students post Puppy Extraction from the Bush.

From what I know of the internet, these pictures alone will increase my blog hits by no less than 15%, guaranteed.

A Namesake

It’s virtually inevitable that upon arriving in West Africa, and attempting any sort of community integration a child will be born and it will be named after you. There is a village in Senegal with no less than four 5 or 6 year old Modjulies running around and even a Joelking. Well, finally my time has come, but in a most unexpected way.

About a week ago, I attended a conference in Kukurantumi (you may remember the name from my Pre-Service Training posts) for ICT, Math, and Science PCVs. Each volunteer is asked to bring a counterpart who would also benefit from the learning tools and methods discussed throughout the weeklong event.
This is a wonderful opportunity for us as volunteers to get together with Ghanaians (and PCVs) from all over Ghana and discuss challenges we face and strategies to resolve them.

Paa Yaw is Alex’s counterpart (you may remember Alex from the Lerry’s Cornflake Picture) and I have grown to know the two of them quite well. Alex stays in the Western Region a short 6 hour trip from me so I’ve had the opportunity to visit his site and meet Paa Yaw several times. Well, on January 1st, 2010 Paa Yaw’s wife gave birth to beautiful baby girl. Although, the hope was for a boy that would in turn be named after Alex, a girl it was and low and behold she needed a name, more specifically she needed my name. Per Alex’s listing of all the female PCV names Yaw chose mine (along with several others as Ghanaian tradition dictates- a name from the father side, mothers side, day of the week, order of birth, etc. This is why I had such a hard time figuring out who’s who in my grade book) for his daughter. I think he name is Arianna Effia _____ _____ Gyapong. I couldn’t figure out the whole thing.

The Naming Ceremony occurred in a Catholic Church at Dawn Service and for most part remains somewhat of a blur to me. It was still dark out and despite my eyes being opening my mind was not necessarily there (you all know my brain doesn’t wake up until at least noon regardless of what my body may be zombieing around pretending to accomplish). Here are two pictures from the event:

Paa Yaw and His wife sharing a Fanta (significance unknown)

This is Alex and I with the happy family. I don't know why this picture is blurry. Sorry-o.

A Very Cape Coast New Year!

New Year offered more beaching and fraternizing with other volunteers. Here are few picturesque moments:Picture 1

View from our Cape Coast Hotel

Looking Like Tourists in front of the Castle

Relaxing on the Beach