On May 10th, 2023, The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Pan-Atlantic University hosted children and youths from Rural Area for Christ Outreach Orphanage (RACO) Ibeju-Lekki, in collaboration with the Community Service Project (CSP) students of the Pan-Atlantic University to engage with our diverse collection of artworks.

The event commenced with a tour of the museum, led by a facilitator who provided insights into our current exhibitions and the artists behind them. The participants were educated on various art media and elements, as well.

Subsequently, the participants were seated in our multi-purpose gallery, where they collaborated on a practical project that required designing and painting on individual canvasses, ultimately culminating in a single piece of artwork.

As a museum, we acknowledge our social responsibility to the community, and our vision and mission statement encompasses serving and engaging diverse audiences through educational programmes that increase awareness of art. Our objective in hosting this event is to address the issues of cultural exclusions and inequities within our community, and we aim to reach a significant number of people who have limited access to cultural goods and services within our locality, by utilizing the rich collection in our museum.

During an interview, Mrs. Beatrice Odukoya expressed gratitude to the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) and the CSP for the invitation and warm reception, acknowledging that the experience exceeded her expectations. She was convinced that the children gained a lot of knowledge of art from the various activities they engaged in during their visit to the museum.

Furthermore, Adefila Bosede, a 17-year-old participant, was astonished by the display of artworks and is eager to revisit the museum in the future.