Appraisal of the Effectiveness of Museums and Galleries in the Promotion of Art Education in South-South Nigeria, 2003-2013
Chapter One
Aim of the study
The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of museums and galleries in the promotion of art education in South-South Nigeria.
Objectives of the Study
Art education in Nigeria has shown a lot of neglect to museums and galleries. There are numerous excuses offered by the schools for not taking advantage of art museums and galleries as a source of development and enrichment for the art programs or teaching. According to Chu- Nelson (2005), the main reason of school not taking advantage of museums and galleries is lack of conviction that museums visit can really offer anything of lasting value to the students.
The researcher feels that despite all the excuses, something still has to be done to fully harness the benefits of museums and galleries in the development of art education in Nigeria. Therefore, the study hopes to:
- Identify the quality of the contents of the museums and galleries in South- SouthNigeria,
- Assess the art educational potentials of the museums andgalleries
- Identify the roles played by museums and galleries in the promotion of art education in South-South Nigeria and
- Evaluate the contributions of museums and galleries in the promotion of art education in South-South.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter is concerned with the review of literature on the role of museums and galleries in the promotion of art education in Nigeria.
Museums and galleries have been considered as vital tools to the development of art education; hence this review will be treated under the following sub-heading.
- Historical background of museums andgalleries
- Poor perception of museums and galleries as it affects Art
- Museums research ineducation
- Museums, Galleries and the colossal task of Artpromotion
- Relevance of Museums and Galleries to ArtEducation
Historical Background of Museums and Galleries Museums
Museum is an ancient word coined from the s Greek word “Museion”. This was the name of the sanctuary or temple of the muses of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The muses were the nine daughters of zens. They were the goddesses of art and science (Datok, Ngozi, Odjegba, & Naibi, 2011).
The Merriam Webster dictionary (1993), defines museum as an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study and display of object of lasting interest or value. Museum Association (1998) sees Museums as places that enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. Another definition from Oxford Dictionaries sees Museums as institutions that care for collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary.
According to Momin and Okpoko in Oyeoku (2015) museums are institutions which collect, preserve and display objects (both natural and cultural) with the basic aim of entertaining, educating and providing material for research in aspect of man’s heritage and development (Datok et al, 2011)
In 200BC when a library and research institute was established in Alexandra Egypt, the first adoption of the word museum was used and it became the museum of Alexandra. It was a private museum.
The World Book Encyclopedia (1992) affirms that the first public museum was instituted in 1663 in Oxford University. The original owner of the museum was an English scholar, by the name of Elias Ashmole who built it primarily for the collection of objects of curiosity (Curio).
By 1700AD, agitation were initiated and spread throughout Europe for establishment of public museums. The pressure groups which were known under the umbrella name of Museum Movements (MM) achieved their goals with the subsequent establishment of various museums throughout Europe. The first dividend came with the establishment of the National Museum of Ireland in 1731AD. The French government opened a museum in Paris to exhibit Royal collections in 1750.
Subsequently, in 1759AD, the British museum was built in Bloomsbury, London to exhibit plant specimens, manuscripts and objects of curiosity. About 24 years later, the spread of museums reached America with the opening of the first museum by the Charleston library society, South Carolina (Encyclopedia America 1995).
Impressively, like a dragnet, the public museum movement that started in Europe and America was to reach Africa and precisely in Nigeria about 200 years later. The agitation was not championed by Nigerians but officers from Europe, whose missionary nationals and colonial officers had by then condemned and abused African art with a passion. Some authorities have it that it was Chief Aina Onabolu who came back from London in the 1920s to kick start the propaganda for the establishment of museums in Nigeria. This made the colonial government to request for two Briton accredited with the museum movement Edeke (2001).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter describes the methodology that was adopted in carrying out this research under the following headings: Research design, Area of the study, Population of the study, Instrument for data collection, Validation of the instrument, Reliability of the instrument
Research Design
In this study, a descriptive survey design was used. This design is considered the most appropriate because the study involves data collection in a natural setting, without manipulation. Moreover, a descriptive survey research design according to Kerlinger (1970) in Siti , Madya & Santhiran (2001) focuses on people, vital fact of people and their beliefs, opinions, attitude and behavior.
Area of the Study
The areas of the study are University of Benin, Federal College of Education (Tech), Omoku Rivers State, Rivers State Museum and Benin Museum, Edo State Nigeria. The study sample is made up of Lecturers of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the institutions and the staff of the Museums respectively.
Population of the Study
The population of this study comprised 21 academic staff of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts in the University of Benin, 18 academic staff of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku, Rivers State, 14 Museum staff of Benin Museum and 11 Museum staff of Rivers State Museum. This make up a total number of 64 respondents. Since all the 64 identified were within reach, they were studied. This however, has eliminated the need for sample.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND FINDINGS OF DATA ANALYSIS
This chapter deals with analysis presentation and discussion of findings based on the retrieved data. The presentation and analysis have been arranged under the respective research questions.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTION FOR FUTHER STUDY
Summary
This study was carried out with intent to appraise the effectiveness of museums and galleries in the promotion of art education in south-south Nigeria, 2003 – 2013. The main investigation has been on a selected two higher Education; Federal College of Education (Tech.) Omoku, Rivers State and University of Benin Edo State and two Museums, Rivers State Museum and Benin Museum, Edo state.
The objective, among others is to evaluate the extent to which the museums and galleries in south-south Nigeria had played their promotional roles to art education in south-south Nigeria. The research is also carried out to ascertain the role, quality of the content and art educational potential of museums and galleries in south-south Nigeria. Options and information expressed by selected higher institution lecturers and staffs of the Museums were culled from them. By and large, they are thoroughly perused and analyzed to posit that: Museums and Galleries in south-south Nigeria was established to play vital role in the promotion of art education. Quality of the content and educational potential of the south-south museums and galleries are relatively low. The south-south Nigeria museums and galleries from 2003-2013 had not played any effective promotional role to art education in south-south Nigeria.
The outcome of this research has no doubt contributed in creating awareness about the roles and contribution of museums and galleries in the preservation and transmission of Nigeria culture from generation to generation.
Conclusion
However, the researcher would like to say that the main investigation is hinged on the appraisal of the effectiveness of museums and galleries in the Promotion of art education in South-south Nigeria from 2003 – 2013, and this has a lot more to it than what has been put down in the write up .Museums and Galleries evolved out of the sincere desire to give art works value, identity and protection. The roles of these institutions as stipulated by the constitution can be summarily stated as: to discover, preserve, promote and further the interest of Nigerian art. We are in the onset of the 21st century and Nigerian art education is still bedeviled by numerous factors which have hampered its growth, some of which include: ignorance and nonchalant attitude of Nigerians towards art education, pitiable state of public museums and galleries because of the Government’s attitude of granting arts and culture 3rd rated Consideration in matters pertaining to funding.
In the analysis of the instrument and opinions expressed by museums staff (curator, administrators, education officers) , it was revealed that there are materials and facilities in the museums and galleries but there is no manpower. And the museums and galleries are not functioning effectively.
Schools have failed to harness the cultural and educational value in the Museums and Galleries. Also the analysis of the instruments and opinion expressed by lecturers in the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the Higher Institutions revealed that most of the materials found in the museums and galleries are obsolete, internet facility not functioning and also for the past 10 years, the south-south museums and galleries have not performed any of their promotional roles.
The state of Nigeria South-South museums and galleries shows the negligence attitude of the government finance wise. It is the desire of the Museums and Galleries to promote art education if properly financed. The museums and galleries in South-South Nigeria had failed because the Nigerian government have also failed to come to their aid since establishment. If the south-south Nigeria museums and galleries are adequately funded, it will definitely attract visitors, thereby promoting art education as one of its numerous roles. It will also be ranked amongst the best museums and galleries in the world which will definitely promote the image of Nigeria as a country.
A museum is only alive when it is opened and visitors are present. Everything that concerns visitors is the focus of museum education, and all museum functions, impact the visitors experience (Wetter & Sayre, 2003).
Recommendations
Based on data collected and facts from related literature review, the following recommendations are made for improved effective promotion of art education through Museums and Galleries.
- Government as a matter of urgency should help to refurbish the structure of south-south Nigeria museums and galleries, so as to attract visitors from far and
- Government should also equip the south-south museums and galleries with adequate manpower, contemporary reading and research materials with standard and functional internet facilities for art educational learning.
- Government should review Nigerian curriculum on fine and applied arts to suit the current situation of contemporary art. Emphasis should be laid on exploitation of Museums and Galleries to improve students’ awareness on art, particularly African contemporary art and its usefulness to the society.
- All higher institution in Nigeria should also establish Museum/Galleries attach to fine arts department. This will in greatly increase students’ creativity and also showcase students’ past and present works. The institution and Museums/Galleries can perhaps generate popularity or revenue from people or researchers that visit
- Museums and Galleries should wake up form their slumber by visiting various schools and higher institutions educating them about the usefulness of Museums and Galleries most especially to the fine and applied art department. This may bring change of attitude from the angle at which the school authority is looking at the
- The Government in its current policy of commercialization should provide solid revenue base and self-sufficiency, these institutions can sustain themselves. They can be promoted through tourism and fees charge for admittance, royalties on advertisement involving artifacts and so
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