Kuenyehia Trust for Contemporary Art has elected Valentina Mintah to its board. Valentina Mintah is internationally-recognised for her expertise in trade facilitation and customs modernisation.
She is founder and former CEO of West Blue Consulting which successfully developed and delivered national single window platforms for Ghana and Nigeria, significantly improving trade facilitation and leading to multi-million-dollar savings for both governments.
Ms. Mintah made history in 2020 with her election to the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the first African woman to be elected in the 102-year-old history of the ICC. The ICC represents more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries including Ghana.
Ms. Mintah is also the founder of e-Ananse, a UNESCO-backed network of libraries that seeks to improve literacy in Ghana by providing young people access to high-quality, contemporary literature.
Ms. Mintah joins the Kuenyehia Trust Board alongside Board Chair Felix Biga, member of the Leadership Strategy team at Caterpillar Inc USA and Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, Regional General Manager for IBM Africa, recently appointed to Bank of Ghana’s board. Other Kuenyehia Trust board members include Marian Ekua Hayfron-Benjamin, partner of law firm Ashong Benjamin and renowned photographer, writer and communications specialist Nana Kofi Acquah.
Speaking following the announcement, Valentina Mintah said: “I look forward using my expertise and network to support and provide opportunities for our immeasurably talented artists”
Kuenyehia Trust founder Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia said: “Valentina is a keen supporter of young African artists. Thanks to her efforts, works by select shortlisted artists of the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art will be exhibited at the Art Pavilion of the 2021 All Africa Festival in Dubai in October 2021. It is a great international platform which will provide our artists with significant exposure to Middle East art collectors, curators and gallerists.”
About Kuenyehia Trust for Contemporary Art (www.kuenyehiaprize.org)
Established in 2014, the Kuenyehia Trust promotes and advances contemporary African art, and supports young, emerging and mid-career African artists.
Its flagship programme, the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art, now in its fifth year, seeks to identify, reward and help develop Africa’s most outstanding artists between the ages of 25 and 40. In addition to prize money totaling ten thousand United States Dollars, winning and shortlisted artists benefit from training and coaching through its unique Creative Accelerator Programme. In 2020, the Prize attracted over 250 entries from all across West Africa.
