African Artists' Foundation

The African Artists' Foundation is an charitable foundation dedicated to providing new avenues for the development of African artists. The AAF looks to continuously evolve programs that benefit artists, by providing the environment and exposure that is needed to give expression to the artists'creativity.

One of the goals of the foundation is to bring to the world stage young talents from across the African continent in order to showcase the rich bredth and depth of African Art. The foundation has designed pioneer programs tailored to meet the needs of African artists and organizes local and international exhibitions as part of its efforts to lift African art.

The Board of Trustees

*Chairman: Azu Nwagbogu

Mr. Nwagbogu is an international art consultant, curator, art dealer and public health scientist.

*Vice Chair: Nike Davis Okundaye

Mrs. Davis-Okundaye is a Nigerian cultural icon; arts educator, international arts advocate, art dealer, painter and batik artist.

*Treasurer: Adegbite Adeniji

Mr. Adeniji is a legal practitioner, art collector and philanthropist. He also serves as AAF's chief legal advisor.

*Secretary: Femi Akinsanya

Mr. Akinsanya is an investment banker, art and antique collector and arts advocate in Lagos.

*Chair of AAF Artistic Selection Committee: Perkins Foss

Professor Foss is an art historian trained at Yale University. He has been a guest curator at numerous American and Nigerian museums, including: the Museum for African Art in New York; the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC; Nigeria's National Museums in Lagos and Jos, as well as at the Harmattan Workshop Galleries, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State. He is a published author and international authority on Nigerian art.

*Chair of AAF Artistic Selection Committee: Dr. Aliko Ahmed

Dr. Ahmed is a consultant in public health based in the UK and an art collector. He also serves as the AAF Public Health Special Advisor

*AAF International Spokesperson in Europe and the UK: Guy Campos

Mr. Campos is a UK-based journalist with a philosophical interest in the nature and possibility of moral justification.

*AAF Advisor on Science and Sustainable Development: Sir Prof. Brian Heap

Sir Brian Heap is a Cambridge scientist and champion of sustainable development. He works with a number of international philanthropic organizations.

*AAF Advisor on U.S. Tax and non-profit issues: Andrew Jensen

Mr. Jensen is a U.S. tax professional and expert on non-profit, charitable legal structures.

*Member: Dr. Olaolu Mudasiru

Dr. Mudasiru originally trained as a Medical Doctor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. He also has an MSc in Investment Banking from the ICMA Centre of the University of Reading and is regarded as a pre-eminent Investment Banking Professional. His interest in creative talent has made him an avid collector of paintings and sculptures of African Origins.

*AAF Program Manager: Carrie Classon

Ms. Smith has more than ten years experience managing professional non-profit arts organizations in the United States. She served as Director of Fundraising for the Portland Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon before co-founding the St. Croix Festival Theatre, in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, a bedroom community of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Ms Smith served first as the Artistic Director of that organization and then the Managing Director for six years.

She has since served on the Theatre’s Board of Directors and continues to assist non-profit visual and performing arts organizations implement successful marketing and fundraising programs. Ms Smith now resides in Nigeria, where she works as a marketing consultant.

External links

*official|http://www.africanartists.org