An Art Lover's Guide to Accra

An art lover would never regret the experience of visual explorations, music, theatrical movement, art dialogues, revolutionary film making methods, mixed media mash-ups and photo walks that take place in Accra’s museums, galleries, art pop up shops, open art-loving restaurants, paint night pubs and streets.

The few galleries in Accra are sparsely placed. Nubuke Foundation is highly recommended in East Legon. Throughout the year the directors and dedicated team of affiliated artists keep the walls, gallery floors and sometimes lawns filled with engaging pieces.

7 Adamafio Close, Accra +23328 910 2163

Artists’ Alliance exhibits large canvasses of traditional and contemporary paintings and can be found on the beach road, a short drive from ANO arts institute. ANO is a research and themed gallery fused with a library and bookshop. Artists’ Alliance opens at 9am while ANO opens at 10am on weekdays and Saturdays. They both close at 6pm.

Artists’ Alliance: La Rd, Accra +23324 525 1404
ANO: Lokko Rd, Accra +23320 644 3066

Two lecturers from the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana presented a proposal for the development of the institution to president Kwame Nkrumah to launch the museum in 1965. Its aim is to create awareness of developments in science and technology in Ghana. Currently it hosts art graduate batch exhibitions in collaboration with the KNUST art department.

Intersection of Barnes and Liberia Road +233 302 223963

Brazil House in Jamestown panels Tabom identity in its urban landscape of memory with reference to Black Brazilian returnees to Ghana. It is currently used by ‘Accra[dot]alt’ as a hub for art talk shows, pop-ups and exhibitions.

Otublohum Street, Accra +23324 4897 948

The Studio is hosted on Thursday nights at Francis Kokoroko‘s photo salon on the top floor of Forico Mall, Osu. British-born Ghanaian artist Yvette Y K O Tetteh’s Body Intimate{d}, Lhola Amira’s Looking For Ghana & The Red Suitcase, indie musician Eli and The Walking Man Band, Danish artist Jacob Remin’s Harvesting the Rare Earth, and Kwabena Agyare Yeboah’s Stop Work. Produce Permit. are some of the projects shown here.

Forico Mall, Osu +23320 1245 000

Thisis the must-visit unflinching spoken word, street philosophy poetry and live music performance atelier in Accra. Eha means song in Ewe, La means sing in Ga Dangbe and Kasa means speak/speech in Akan. Their ‘Talk Party’ is at Nubuke Foundation every last Sunday of the month.

7 Adamafio Close, Accra +23328 910 2163

Also, check out Republic Osu for their weekly paint nights and live music sessions every Wednesday night as well as Tea Baa for artists meet-ups over cocktails. Pin down The Artist Concert, a free-flow performance scene at Nubuke every last Saturday night of the month. The Beyond Collective, which is made up of Nana Anoff, Panji, Nii Obodai, etc. – comes together at Nanoff Gallery in Dzorwulu.

On the streets of Jamestown in August every year, this alternative expression festival stretches the margins of how art is exhibited and consumed. Its growth in terms of proportions and influence makes it one of Accra’s most exciting and prominent festivals. The organizers ‘Accra[dot]alt’ also do the Sabolai Music Festival, but Chale Wote focuses on art, music, dance and performance. This year it happens from August 18-20. Most of the action is at Mantse Agbona, Ussher Fort and Otublohum. It starts at 10am and lasts till 10pm at night but due to traffic and road blocks, visit it early or park your vehicle outside the Jamestown perimeter and walk.

Nkabom is where art meets literature. The festival takes to the streets and non-traditional spaces and makes use of alternative methods to express written, spoken, recorded sound or video pieces of literature to the audience. It is also set for August. Find more info here.

At the premises of Cuppa Cappuccino Coffee Shop, Airport Residential Area, Baza, is an art fair event put together by Antique Lemonade Gallery in collaboration with Creative Spaces GH and Urban Hive. It merges fashion, food, art, music and games. You can get clothing, crafts, fashion accessories, food, music, shoes, fabrics and lots of artsy bits in the mix.