Artist wants art made compulsory in schools

Veteran visual artist Rauf Thompson on Saturday said art should be made compulsory like mathematics in schools.

Thompson made the call during exhibition he organized with the theme: Breaking New Points in Visual Art, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos.

He called for more enlightenment on the vital role of art in nation building.

"Art needs to be grown from school side by side with other subjects in the school curriculum and it should be made compulsory like mathematics.

"There should be training of more people. Let them know that art is the basis of what anyone does in life.

"Art is not just to draw, it’s an ability to think, and one must have something to put down positively not necessarily drawing with pencil.

"We need to encourage those who are interested in art because it is a spring board for development, it affects all spheres of life”, he said.

According to him, "we should be talking about how various professions should be growing side by side with the arts in the country for arts recognition.

"By the time they grow side by side with other professionals, the awareness will be high and arts practitioners will be happy doing what they are doing.

"Art surpasses any subject because it has foundation in every subject; with arts you can develop any talent.

"It’s just that people see it as a subject that is not doing well both in school and in practice but I don’t see it that way”, he said.

He noted that anyone in the creative industry can excel if given any job to do, saying that art pays.

"Creativity drives them do what they how best know to do in those days; it is not about money.

"That is why a lot of people go for other jobs when they finish school”, he said.

He urged artists to be skilful and not to be discouraged in the profession as there were lots of benefits in the job.

NAN reports that Thompson, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology, had been staging group and solo exhibitions.

The current exhibition has 20 art works on display and would end on Oct. 26.