By BUSAYO ONIJALA

The U.S. Consulate in Lagos, in collaboration with Rele Arts Foundation, has launched the LagosAtlanta Artist Exchange.

In a statement, the consulate said the exchange was in commemoration of the 50-year Sister Cities partnership between Lagos and Atlanta and would further deepen artistic collaborations between both cities.

Two Atlanta-based artists, Myra Greene, and Artemus Jenkins, are in Lagos for the LagosAtlanta Artist Exchange residency.

Greene and Jenkins have been conducting research, collaborating with local artists, and creating works that reflect the rich cultural ties between Lagos and Atlanta.

Greene, an accomplished photographer and textile artist, will showcase her work, New Myths, as part of the Afropolis Festival.

Her exhibition will open on Oct. 28 at the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos.

Similarly, Jenkins, a filmmaker and photographer, whose work explores the intersection of West African and African American cultures, will present a solo exhibition titled ‘GITYUSUMPROTECTION’ at Angels and Muse Art Studio in Ikoyi, with an opening on Oct. 31.

U.S. Consul General, Will Stevens, said the exchange showcased the power of art to connect people and communities across the world.

“This artist exchange deepens the cultural ties between our two cities, fostering creative innovation and collaboration,” Stevens said.

The LagosAtlanta Artist Exchange and Residencies are a collaboration between Lauren Tate Baeza, Curator of African Art at the High Museum of Art, the Rele Arts Foundation, and the U.S. consulate with support from Delta Airlines.

The consulate said that through these collaborations, public exhibitions, and community engagements, the artistic connection between Lagos and Atlanta would continue to thrive, enriching both cities for generations.

According to the consulate, Atlanta is home to the fifth largest Nigerian diaspora population in the U.S., and this shared history has continued to deepen the bilateral people-to-people ties between both cities.

“From education to the arts, the Sister City partnership continues to build bridges and open doors to deeper collaboration and mutual prosperity,” the statement read in part. (NAN)