The Department of Industrial Art at the College of Art and Built Environment (CABE), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is deepening its collaboration with the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.

The newly appointed Head of Department, Professor Samuel Nortey, announced this during a meeting between faculty members and visiting scholar Professor Emeritus Rebecca Nagy, former Director of the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida.

Professor Nortey expressed his appreciation to Professor Nagy for her long-standing support to staff and students of the Department. He noted her keen interest in Ghanaian contemporary art and urged colleagues to draw on her extensive experience to enrich their research and teaching.

Outlining his vision for the Department, Professor Nortey said he aims to promote international partnerships through staff and student exchanges, as well as collaborative research projects. He emphasized his commitment to fostering global and regional synergy for academic and artistic impact.

Professor Nagy has curated solo and group exhibitions featuring Ghanaian students in the United States and has participated in several conferences alongside Ghanaian postgraduate students.

Her current research, “What Is Their Secret? Artists from KNUST in American Universities?”, is published in the Journal of African Arts by MIT Press. She commended the Department for producing talented and disciplined students who excel internationally.

Expressing her enthusiasm for renewed collaboration, Professor Nagy pledged continued support for exchange programmes and joint artistic projects between KNUST and the art community in Gainesville. She also expressed interest in working more closely with Ghanaian international students, staff, and artists to strengthen ties between the two institutions.

Her visit featured discussions and knowledge sharing with faculty members, as well as studio tours where she interacted with students and National Service personnel.

To support teaching and research, Professor Nagy presented a digital pyrometer and thermocouple donated by a group of Ghanaian ceramic students pursuing MFA programmes in the United States to aid in the firing of ceramic works at the Department.