By DADA AYOKHAI
The yearnings of art lovers and patrons in Benin City, the capital of Edo State and its environs have been met with the opening of the Thought Pyramid Art Center .
With the official opening, Thought Pyramid Art Center, Benin City can now take back what rightly belongs to it as the cradle roots and culture of the country
The Edo State Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Uyi Oduwa _ Malaka, conducted the official opening on behalf of her boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki
Art officianado, Olorogun Jeff Ajueshi is the lead curator and founder of Thought Pyramid Center. The Center currently operates in Abuja, Lagos, and Oghara, Delta State.
Dr. Malaka lauded the efforts of Olorogun Ajueshi on his smart business idea to bring the art hub to Benin, saying the City is a natural location for such a venture .
She noted also that the recent influx of business ventures into Edo State means private business owners are in tune with the business-policy mix of the Obaseki administration which seeks to make Edo State the destination point for both local and foreign investments through creating a business-friendly climate where businesses thrive and also generate employment and profits .
Describing the state governor as an avid lover of arts, the commissioner said the state is willing to support Edo sons and daughters who have made exploits in the area of arts and culture to come back home and replicate the same feat.
She enthused that “Art is therapeutic”, insisting further that Edo State is renowned as the capital of arts and culture in Nigeria.
In a chat with journalists, Olorogun Ajueshi stated that the grand opening of the Benin Art Center should not be viewed as an expansion per se but as the coming home to the source, adding Edo State is the cultural capital of the country because of her rich cultural heritage
Olorogun Ajueshi added that the Benin Art Center is poised to redefine the business of arts as well as ensure that art patrons get the real thrill for their money .
He enumerated the vision behind the center to include building a new generation of art connoisseurs who will take the best of the Nigerian art and creative industry and blend it into a thriving global brand .
Thought Pyramid Art Center also serves as a one-stop outlet with a restaurant serving local cuisines to patrons as a way of providing fun and thrill as well as business sustenance
The high point of the unveiling ceremony was an art exhibition tagged “Red Book”
