Tacomans Take On Africa’s Impenetrable Forest

Art as hope: Conn teaching in Africa. Photograph by Judy Chambers.

You hear plenty these days about artists facing hard times. But two Tacoma artists are about to prove that art may be the key to prosperity for people whose poverty is beyond what the most cash-strapped Pierce County aesthete can imagine. Lynn Di Nino, Jim Robbins and six other Northwesterners have just won funding for the Volunteer Artist Project, which will enable them to take the tools of their trade to Uganda in January. Their mission is to help out the Batwa pygmies, who were portrayed as the bad guys in the movie Gorillas in the Mist.

From the Batwa point of view, the bad guys were the Western gorilla fans who helped make them homeless in the 1990s, hunkered down outside their ancient home in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. “What I think is ironic is that the Batwa were kicked out of the forest because the government wanted to capitalize on tourists who go on gorilla treks,” says Marsha Conn, the project’s organizer. “Now the pygmies want to sell their crafts to tourists.”

“We feel we can help them develop some innovative work,” says Di Nino. “I already know that language is not a barrier when it comes to creating art together.” Di Nino worked with Robbins on Tacoma’s 2004 Sister City Cultural Delegation to Cienfuegos, Cuba. Robbins’ previous experience helping people in war-torn Cambodia, Bangkok slums and Burmese refugee camps and as a teacher of the “Art of Hope” classes in Pierce County schools should come in handy.

“The Batwas’ skills were as hunter-gatherers,” says Conn. “Those skills became pretty useless since they got kicked out. They have no way of making a living. So there’s a lot of alcohol, AIDS, problems. They’re discriminated against – other Africans make fun of them.” They have to come up with a new livelihood fast. “Besides making things,” says Di Nino, “the Batwa are being trained to run a business, handle money, inventory, display, facility upkeep, etc.”

“I hear they’re excited we are coming,” says Conn. “Nothing like this has been done before, so it really is a leap in the dark for all of us. We’ll be there a month, two teams of four in two settlements, with twenty-two people in each.”

The Batwa currently make the same generic baskets everybody hawks in Africa. The artists hope to help them craft something more authentic and salable – to create a Batwa brand. “They receive bales of clothing from the U.S., so our group has discussed upcycling this fabric into wearables, containers or children’s toys,” says Di Nino. “I can envision teaching them knitting and crocheting.” Di Nino, who makes wearable art, is bringing a sewing machine run by a generator. “This group is musical and loves to dance, so simple musical instruments may make sense. We might fashion gorilla-shaped souvenirs. Jim Robbins has experience in clay, mold making and fused glass, and in leading drawing classes. He did this for years in Burma.” Conn is compiling never-published stories by elders for a possible book. “We want their creativity and interest to direct our process,” says Di Nino.

The pygmies have no electricity, hot water or English. “We can only communicate through either a translator or art,” says Conn. “I prefer art. It’s more fun. Art can change lives.” •