For the very ‘Young at Art’

Summer holiday, which is usually the longest vacation for all students because it is usually for two months, some parents enrol their children in schools for summer lesson, some tennis class, some art class, some swimming class, football academy, and other types of extra-curricular activities.

An art lover – Biodun Omolayo has decided to follow his heart to study arts after his first degree. He worked in a bank up to a manager level, but resigned to follow his heart and passion for arts. Since he was a child he had shown interest in art, but was driven by society to study something else.

Getting to this stage in life – nine years down the line that he had dedicated to teaching children arts – from children, adolescent to teenagers, and young adults. His children workshop, known as ‘Play Shop,’ runs for eight weeks – from July to September.

He decides to help children with flair for art to develop them from that small interest and build it up to the level of passion. Biodun Omolayo encourages them to study art or try to develop their skills, because there is no aspect in life that does not entail art.

As a child that was not encouraged to go into the arts, he does not want that to happen to the future generation, that’s why he is organising the summer programme to help sharpen and hone the skills of this generation.

‘Young at Art’ is the title of the art summer programme that gets to keep the children busy while their parents go to work or shop at the malls. The children are allowed to bring their lunch and they are provided with all their necessary materials to be used in the learning process, but with a little amount paid for them.

For Chisom Osichukwu, a student at Biodun Omolayo’s art gallery, the gallery: “Teach us how to draw, paint, sculpt, carve and other creative arts. We also do life drawing; I really like creative writing skills, and all parts of drawing and sketches. I would like to advise other young children to do whatever they like doing and never give up, especially drawing, because there is a saying that practice always makes perfect. Never stop keep drawing and be adventurous.”

A young child at Young at Art – Gideon Osamudiame, “before, I was not able to paint landscape, portrait, and not able to draw well. When I came to Biodun Omolayo’s art gallery I was able to paint but not as a professional, but as a learner.”

So far, Biodun Omolayo has been able to mentor so many children, both at the local and international sphere. He has mentored children at seminars abroad, coached children in Nigeria that have gone to further their education in art and other major.

Chinelo Ibekwe, a 17-year-old girl, who is supposed to start her university in August at Mississippi, is engaging herself in different activities of art, music, dance as of now. She said “I was one of the best students in art when I was at my high school. I decided to continue what I learnt in high school to continue to learn more here. I have been drawing since I was nine years, but I could draw, yes, but I wasn’t too good in shading, so now I can sit down and look at different things; life and figure drawing, still life drawing to make my work look real.

“Mr Biodun Omolayo is my mentor; I actually like drawing and painting, most especially, because sculpture is a bit technical I enjoy it though. America makes it easy for me to study what I want; I am going to study engineering as my major, then I would study arts as my minor; but I can do music also. I will advise all young people to develop their talents, especially if you like arts, you can do something else and arts can still come second because art is life. We see art everywhere and it will help you. Even if you think you don’t have a talent you can start up something and you see that it was hidden.”

At Biodun Omolayo’s Art Gallery, he has over 20 art facilitators from different areas, who work with him and the children. There is a graduate of mathematics, who takes the geography and regional planning, from English language and from various disciplines coming to take them. This year is the ninth edition and next year will be the tenth edition and anniversary for Young at Art.

They run the art programme in two angles, one angle is free – that is for charity, for the less privilege, while the other is paid for – a specific amount of money, so parents bring their children because the materials used are more, but at a subsidised rate.