By Kirubel Tadesse

Artist Eshetu Tiruneh and his former student Artist Asnake Kifle had something in common for more than a decade. Both of them had a dream of teaching art to youth. This common passion brought them together to work on establishing an art academy. After a few years in preparation, their dream became reality in October 2006 when they opened the Enlightenment Art Academy (EAA).
Director of the Academy, Artist Eshetu, graduated from the school of fine Arts, AAU with great distinction in painting in 1981. He did his Masters of Art in the former U.S.S.R’s Moscow State Academy of Fine Arts named after V.I.SUIKOV, specializing in painting and graduating with honors. He served as stage designer and poster artist in Hager Fikir Theater and also taught in his alma-mater for three years. He has held more than fourteen exhibitions together with other artists in Addis Ababa and Gonder. Germany, Nigeria, Czechoslovakia and the former U.S.S.R are some of the countries Eshetu has displayed his artwork.
When Artist Eshetu came to Ethiopia after completing his education in the former U.S.S.R, he wanted to start teaching right away. However, lack of fund and other constraints kept him from realizing his dream. He then found himself a partner, Artist Asnake.
Co-founder and instructor at the Academy, Artist Asnake, graduated from the school of fine Arts and Design, AAU in 1990. He has had fifteen Exhibitions at the Addis Ababa Hilton, Alliance Ethio-française, Addis Ababa Municipality, National Museum and other venues. He has also held five group shows in different locations in Holland between the years 1995 and 1996.

Enlightenment Art Academy was established with a modest capital and with twenty five students initially but more importantly, it has a much bigger dream. Academy Director, Eshetu says “We enroll students and help them light that fire we call talent... In our two years program we teach students the ABC of art.”
While talking with the director we watched students attending Artist Asnake’s class. After class, I got a chance to talk to some of the students whose pictures were displayed on the walls. One of them was Kirubel Kebede. Kirubel told me that he spent the last eight months in the Academy. When I asked him if he has seen any improvements in his skill, he replied: “I have experienced tremendous change in my abilities. I went to Art School, the education there is fine but we were too many for the teacher to give us each individual attention. Here we are ten to fifteen per class; that translates in quick changes for everyone.”
The founders of the academy are also happy that these students are showing progress. “We teach them how to express themselves in art. Let your paints tell your story is the motto.”
“They choose their paints to define themselves,” said Asnake when I asked him what he thinks about his students.
Enlightenment Art Academy in parallel to its 10 +1, 10 +2, 10 +3 regular programs, gives specialized short-term training for children in a program called “Talent Nurturing”. It also offers special courses for journalists to help them cover art related events better, said Director Eshetu.
“Anybody with talent can come and start taking class at any time. There was a medical doctor who was with us for the first semester. That’s what makes art education different from other types of education and pursuits,” he concluded.

http://www.capitalethiopia.com/archive/2007/july/week4/Art_and_culture.htm