On Sunday 30^th April 2023, Friends of City Park Association (FoCPA), partnered with Chez Mahmadi and Loreto Convent Valley Road Primary School (LCVR) to organize a fun and very successful art auction as the very first fundraiser in aid of Nairobi City Park (CP).

The event was held @ Chez Mahmadi, a centre that hosts various artistic and wellness activities. We are very grateful to the owner and host, who, pro bono, let us have the venue for preparations and carry out the auction on the premises. It involved a great amount of preparations and coordination, particularly by the FoCPA team coordinating with Art Teacher Flora of LCVR Primary School in preparing, framing and hanging the paintings.

The budding artists are aged between seven and fourteen years and were really excited that their work was going to be exhibited. The children had a very clear vision of what they would like in a park – green spaces, lots of trees, clean, hence lots of bins, as well as benches to rest on. They showed an understanding of Global Warming and how parks can help. Some even showed re-cycling with bins having ‘don’t litter’ slogans. It was also very interesting to hear the children describing themselves and their art in their own words.

It was a whole day event with pottery, calligraphy, dancing, face painting etc. which kept the children busy and enjoying themselves while they waited for the auction which took place at the end of the day. There was a lot of interest in City Park especially in the fish pond, the pollinator garden, the bandstand and the forest. FoCPA is looking forward to hosting the pupils for a visit in City Park.

We are so appreciative of the parents who supported their little artists and were immensely generous in bidding higher and higher to the delight of FoCPA members present! Sometimes the bidding was between parents, grandparents and the siblings being edged on by the auctioneer!! Several FoCPA members also bid for paintings. A picture is worth a thousand words and you will have a better understanding of the day from the many attached photos of the day.

–by FoCPA