Kumasi: The management of the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in the Ashanti Region has launched the 2025 Arts and Craft Exhibition in Kumasi. The launch was on the theme: ‘Marketplace of Creativity: Promoting Arts and Crafts for Economic Development’. The event brought together various artisans from across the country, senior high school students, prison officers, chiefs, and others to promote Ghana’s cultural heritage.
According to Ghana News Agency, the premises of the CNC was beautified with many types of art and craft works displayed in various stands rented out to artisans by the management of the CNC at a reasonable fee for two months. The art and craft works included framed paintings, wooden sculptures, bead works, leather bags, African print cloths, batik, tie and dye fabrics and clothes, broadloom Kente cloths, and many others. Among the craft works exhibited were those made by inmates and prison officers of the Kumasi Central Prison.
Mr. Peter K Marfo, Acting Director of the Ashanti Regional CNC, said the annual exhibition aimed to assemble artisans from across the country to display their unique art and craft works. Additionally, the event served as a platform for artisans to make good sales, build contacts, and collaborate with stakeholders to promote Ghana’s rich cultural heritage while contributing to economic growth.
Mr. Marfo encouraged artisans to partner with the Ghana Prisons Service to train inmates as part of their rehabilitation process to equip them with artistic skills for employment after their discharge. This, he said, would help the inmates convicted due to theft and armed robbery not to repeat the same mistakes which led them to prison.
Deputy Director of Prisons James B Mwinyelle, the Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, said prison was part of the society. He encouraged citizens to visit inmates in the prison irrespective of their relationship with them to encourage and support their reformation and rehabilitation process. This, DDP Mwinyelle noted, would foster a smooth and easy re-integration of inmates when they were finally freed into the real world. Ostracizing and stigmatizing inmates, according to him, was not good as not all the inmates were convicted for a crime they committed. DDP Mwinyelle thanked the CNC for giving the inmates and prison officers a free stand to showcase their crafts at the 2025 Arts and Craft Exhibition.