Gaborone — The Consumer Fair that kicked off on Monday has proved to be a good marketing platform for schools art this time round. This is the first time secondary school art is taking advantage of the show to expose students to careers in art, so the students can see from the sale of their own works that art is profitable.

Overseer of the exhibition Moffat Kokeletso says students would pocket all the proceeds realized from the sale of their art works.

The Botswana Art Fair (BONAFA), an annual art event for both junior and senior secondary schools, is using this year's Consumer Fair to expose the talent they have in the various schools as well as selling art works for the students as well as teachers.

Kokeletso, who is also a member of the BONAFA executive committee, says business is brisk. " People love them.

They are also reasonably priced because their quality is very high. A good number of people have also placed orders and we are hopeful we would have sold many pieces by the end of the exhibition," said Kokeletso. BONAFA has bought a spacious stand at Boipuso Hall where hundreds of art works are on display and Kokeletso says the exhibition reflects the crème de la crème of secondary schools art.

" We have also brought the students here, the best of the best, after they emerged winners at regional level. They are here showing the audience how to paint and make sculptures.

In a way this is taking art to the people, because they are learning what art is all about.

We are also exposing the students to careers in art.

They are selling these items for themselves and they will see that exhibitions can earn an artist good money," said Kokeletso.

The exhibition at the Boipuso Hall also coincides with judging of the students' works, the overseer stated. By tomorrow, the finalists would know who among them would have scooped first, second and third positions.

At the time of touring the stall and the exhibition by BONAFA, the panel of judges had already completed judging the senior secondary school category and had just started judging the junior secondary schools.

The prize giving will be done on Friday (today) at the Toll Conference centre.