Arts is one of the four pillars of Guaranty Trust’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and the launch of Art635 is the latest of the company’s sustained efforts to promote African arts locally and internationally. At the moment, most budding indigenous artists in Nigeria and across Africa have little or nowhere to showcase their works and make a living from them.
Art635 is a foremost online repository of African artworks and is set to serve as a leading platform for the promotion of indigenous artists across the continent. The Gallery will drastically expand the exposure of artists, provide an enabling platform for the marketing of their works and serve as a much-needed motivation for the further development of their artistic skills and talents.
With Art635, Guaranty Trust aims to further its support for African arts by helping African artworks become not just more visible and appreciated, but also to turn them into a much more profitable and commercially viable venture for indigenous artists. This is in line with the company’s initiative to go beyond the traditional understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility as corporate philanthropy by intervening in economic sectors, to strengthen small businesses through capacity building initiatives that serve to boost their expertise, exposure and business growth.
The Guaranty Trust Art 635 Inspire Auction which held September 11th, 2020 focused on Nigerian art and culture featuring an impressive selection of the finest works from artists established, mid-career, and those still finding their feet in the world of African art such as Isaac Emokpae, Charles Okah, Ayanfeoluwa Olarinde, and several others.