Mission:
To serve as an incubator for African artists seeking to expand their practice while developing career paths within the global art scene.

Vision:
To be a pillar within the African contemporary art ecology for emerging artists to grow and develop their practice.

Synopsis:

Founded in November 2020, the Noldor Artist Residency is Ghana’s first independent artist residency and fellowship program for contemporary African artists on the continent and in the diaspora. The fellowship programs invite emerging artists to explore their creative practices over varying tenures (6 months to 1 year) as a Senior, Junior, Visiting and Digital Fellows. Whereas, the residency program invites established artists to develop a body of work over a 6-week period, after which the works are exhibited at the Institute Museum of Ghana – a pillar of Noldor.

Situated in Ghana’s La District facing the Atlantic Ocean within Accra, The Institute Museum of Ghana was created as an extension of the Noldor Artist Residency program, established in November 2020, with a focus on restitution research and a devotion to presenting contemporary art from the African continent and its diaspora. The fledgling institution was developed from a repurposed pharmaceutical factory complex at 7,200 square meters, refurbished under the guidance of Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye with works continuing with a private contractor towards completion in 2026.

With a few galleries and an ever-dynamic exhibition programme, this art museum serves as a vibrant cultural epicentre for big ideas having presented shows by established artists like James Barnor and many other recognized names. Housed within the museum’s evolving permanent collection have been artists such as Moffat Takadiwa, Serge Attukwei Clottey, Sungi Mlengeya, Modupeola Fadugba, and Gideon Appah.

With a long-standing partnership with one of the oldest African art prizes in history, ABSA’s L’Atelier Art Prize, the museum seeks to foster international relations, provide learning opportunities, and address barriers related to privilege and limited opportunities within Ghana and African art. Now in years to come, the museum strives to position the restitution of West African artefacts within the global art historical canon, fostering awareness through active research and advocacy while elevating the discourse around their contributions towards this growing movement.

Chief Curator Sally Polley leads the museum’s calendar, stating that the institution’s programming is designed to support emerging artists and foster a critical art spirit across the continent. It supports a range of artistic expressions including dance, performance, and traditional media, emphasizing socially engaged practices and gender parity. The museum remains in constant dialogue with the vitality of its residency program at Noldor creating a parallel dynamic towards looking to the future and preserving past heritage.

In the vein of artists’ growth and development, Noldor has facilitated the placement of its artists in exhibitions with notable galleries and museums across the globe, including Maruani Mercier (Belgium), Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (USA), Lithuanian National Museum, Galerie Ron Mandos (Netherlands), Mindy Solomon Gallery (USA), and Peres Projects (Berlin, Seoul, Miami).

Aims & Purpose

  • To create a space for creative development and knowledge exchange between established and emerging contemporary talents
  • To support international partnerships between artists, designers, curators, collectors, architects, agriculturists, and ecologists
  • To nurture the development of careers for both locally and internationally
  • To create learning opportunities for participants and the local audience of Ghana
  • To break down ubiquitous barriers of privilege, wealth, lack of infrastructure, and limited opportunities within Ghana & Africa