ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY HONOREE BRUCE ONOBRAKPEYA, WASHINGTON DC

50 YEARS ANNIVERSARY MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY HONOREE BRUCE ONOBRAKPEYA, WASHINGTON D.C.

Dr. Johnnetta Cole and the advisory Board of the National Museum of African Art, special guest Drs. Camille and Bill Cosby, Eminent Ladies and gentlemen.

I am happy and very grateful for being an honoree during the celebration of fifty years of life of the museum of African Art Washington D.C. I thank the museum for the honour.

It is a great recognition and a crown for a lifelong effort in my creative endeavours.

The honour is also recognition of the hard work of different people and groups who are dedicated to the building of artistic personalities and relevance, for the visual art particularly the old and modern African art.

 I hold the award on behalf of my family for whom my restless work as an artist has denied my time and funds. I also hold it for my friends, fellow artists, individuals and corporate sponsors, cultural engineers including the press.  It is an affirmation that their labour continues to yield positive results.

I congratulate the museum of African Art for her golden jubilee.  May she continue to grow in the development of the visual art from Africa and Diasporas to the benefit of the entire world.

Thank you

Bruce Onobrakpeya

Smithsonian Museum of African Art

Washington D.C.

November 7, 2014