The students and the Principal of the School of Fine Arts at Leulumoega Fou College have praised the organisers of last week’s independence celebration.

They say thanks to the week-long festivities, they were able to display their artwork for the first time in over two and a half years.

Over 100 art pieces from the school were put on display at the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) compound in town last week during the celebrations. The display comes over two years after the Teuila festival went behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 lockdown and was held virtually.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, the School Principal, Lealofi Toleafoa said the students camped at the school compound for five weeks to prepare for the showcase last week. 

"We appreciate the opportunity offered for our students to display their artwork and their handicraft," Mrs. Toleafoa said. 

"Every year during the Teuila Festival we always prepare our students and their work and secure a stall here to display our work. 

“This also gives our students the opportunity to learn about marketing their artwork.”

Blaming the COVID-19 lockdown, the Principal said they were not able to showcase their work until recently.

"And because of COVID-19, we were not able to showcase our work for two years which is why we are grateful that we had the opportunity to showcase our work this year.

"Aside from the other programmes we have every year, this is one of the main programmes we look forward to as it allows our students to show their work and talents to the people of Samoa. 

“A lot of people do not come to the museum to see the work that our students do but we see this as a perfect opportunity for their work to be on display. 

"And this also gives our people and visiting friends the opportunity to buy the artwork and carvings by our students as souvenirs."

One of the benefits of the public display of the students’ artwork, is the motivation and confidence building that they get from the exposure, according to Mrs. Toleafoa.

"I know they feel a sense of pride and joy when they see people admiring their work and wanting to buy what they produce,” she said. 

"Every year, we camp for five weeks to prepare all the artwork to be displayed at the Teuila festival and our students put in a lot of effort and time in getting these done."

Mrs. Toleafoa said the money they earned from selling their artwork and carvings goes back into the school’s budget, which is then used to assist with the provision of resources the students later use. 

She added that their students also get a portion of the revenue generated from the sales of their artwork. 

"But they get one third of the money to help them with their school fees and fares. The church (Congregational Christian Church Samoa) has an allocated budget to fund all the programmes and resources for our students. 

"Furthermore, the Samoa Qualification Authority (S.Q.A.) has been very helpful in assisting our students by providing resources and scholarships for our students and funding other programmes to enhance the skills and knowledge of our aspiring artists.

"There's a lot of artwork and carvings being displayed at the museum at Leulumoega."

The Leulumoega School of Fine Arts (L.F.A.) comes under the administration of the C.C.C.S. education portfolio. The school has already been accredited and recognised as a training provider by the Samoa Qualification Authority.