The Friends of African and African American Art will present its 2022 Margaret Herz Demant Award for African Art to Professor Benedict O. Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). 

Please join us on Sunday, September 25th, for an award ceremony honoring Professor Oramah for his contributions to promoting and collecting African art, both in Africa and internationally. Professor Oramah oversees Afreximbank's Art Program, which acts as a patron for the preservation, collection, and showcasing of African art in the Bank's corporate offices and promotes the visibility and commercial viability of Africa's contemporary artists through planned art-related activities. To date, Afreximbank has built a pipeline of finance focused on creative and cultural industry projects—classical and contemporary art, fashion, music, and art training--to the tune of $500 million.  

Professor Oramah's talk will focus on how Afreximbank's programs are bolstering the creative industries in Africa through strategic investment. He believes that with suitable investments, the arts have the potential to contribute to the structural transformation of the continent, thereby creating jobs and increasing exports and other development outcomes. He will also explore how the current programs can benefit the promotion and exhibition of works by African artists in the Diaspora. 

This event is open to the public; however, seating is limited, and advance registration is required. 

Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test as well as masks are required to attend events in the Lecture Hall.