College of Design Press Release

WORK HIGHLIGHTING STUDENT TRIP TO GHANA ON DISPLAY FEB. 1-5 IN ISU COLLEGE OF DESIGN'S GALLERY 181

 

Visit: http://www.design.iastate.edu/news/1/28/2016/ghana_exhibition

Ghana: Developing Perspective exhibition and reception

Exhibition opens Monday, February 1
Location: Gallery 181, College of Design, Ames
Closing reception, Friday February 5, 5-8pm. Free and open to the public.

Jan. 8

Our last day in Ghana - We started our last day of the trip off with going to the Ghana Independence Memorial and Museum dedicated to Kwame Nkrumah who helped Ghana gain their independence on March 6, 1957. We then went back to the coffin makers where Stephen gifted us all with woodcarvings silhouetting Africa, which we all made him sign for us. The rest of the day was spent packing and getting ready back at the hostel for the long travels awaiting us. Our flight out of Accra was at ten so we started making our way to the airport around seven where we had a few friends there to say our goodbyes to, including our bus drivers. The airport was a bit confusing, but we all made it to our gate with time to spare. While sitting and waiting, Chris and Tammi handed back to us our applications for the trip from the beginning of the semester. It was a great time to read and reflect how much we’ve learned in the past five months and the memories we’ll have to share down the road (that hopefully won’t have as many speed bumps). 

Nicole and Cori

Jan. 7

We all woke up from our first night staying at the pink hostel.  All nine girls were in one room while four boys were in the other.  I think it is safe to say no one slept very well that night due to our AC being stuck at one temperature, which left us all shivering the whole night. 

After a delicious and common breakfast of bread and eggs we traveled to Aburi to a woodcarving village there.  Some of the woodcarvings there were so intricate and neatly polished.  It was cool to see what kind of tools they were working with as well.  

The next stop of the day was the mall in Accra.  It was a completely different experience going there and seeing how westernized Accra is compared to the villages we spent most of our time at.  The mall was even nicer than the Ames mall.  We went to see Star Wars at the theater there and some of us bought popcorn and hotdogs that tasted amazing.  Halfway through the movie the power went out which isn’t something that happens too often in America.  It was actually pretty convenient considering some of us needed a bathroom break.  To end the day we went to a pizza place near our hostel.  Everyone was excited for that and it put a nice ending to a relaxing day.    

-Brianna and Korey

Jan. 6

Some of us got up at the early hour of 6 to have one last swim before we packed into the bus at 11 to leave for Accra. After the 3-4 hour drive we headed to the Omanye House, a contemporary art gallery full of beautiful art by Ghanaian artists. The art was beautiful, unfortunately we were unable to take pictures. After the art gallery we headed to Pink Hostel where we were split up by gender all ten girls were placed in a room with 5 bunk beds that are all about a foot apart and one bathroom to share. The boys all received their own bunk bed to themselves with an entire room to walk about as well as their own bathroom. We crammed into out crowded room of bunk beds to go to sleep only to awake in the night freezing.

Autumn and Kayla

Jan. 5

Today we got a tour of Cape Coast Castle. The Castle is actually a slave castle on the coast of Ghana that has been there for around 500 years. Many European countries operated the slave castle during those years, including Portugal and England. The castle was a midway point for slaves to be held before getting on the boats for the Americas. The castle’s “balcony” area looked out over the ocean, it was beautiful. You could see fishing boats coming in and going out, it was really a site to behold. The tour of the castle was very emotional; most of us stayed very silent and respected the historical significance of the slave castle on society. The tour ended with everyone going out the “Door of no return,” to the ocean, but on the other side the fishing village was full of life. People were patching netting, getting ready to push out, bringing in the days catch, and on the top of the door it said, “Door of return.”

-Caroline Freese

Jan. 4

Today started early, but we were excited to head to Scott's because our clothes we got measured for were waiting for us! Everything turned out wonderful and we are all very pleased with our new clothes.  After we all said our goodbyes we headed out to do a canopy walk. We walked along rope bridges 140 feet in the air! Most people really enjoyed it. Emily, Korey and Sarah raced to the end. A lot of us found out we are a little out of shape, others afraid of heights. After this we had another ride to Coconut Grove Resort. By far most of our favorite resort on the trip! It was right on the ocean and had a pool and restaurant. Very relaxing and fun. For Nathan being his first time he acted like a child (as did most of us). Even Emily, who is terrified of the ocean enjoyed body surfing in the waves. It was a nice night of relaxing and enjoying ourselves. 

Emily and Nathan

Jan. 3

Today I was given the opportunity to join Scott's wife Promise, their daughter Stephanie, and a neighbor to go to church. The Church of Pentecost was where we went (my first time going to a Pentecostal church and an African style service). It was quite the experience with everyone dressed in their Sunday best (with me in travel clothes), singing at the top of their lungs, dancing up to the front giving offerings, praying out loud all at once, and all the stares for being the only white person in the church. Overall it was a fun experience to be a part of and witness.

-Nicole

While Nicole was experiencing the African church experience, the rest of us remained at Scott's place to continue working on developing products for Our Talking Hands. It was also our last day to relish the wonderful cooking of Theresa, who we all will miss dearly; her curry chicken was truly amazing. We begged her on bended knees to accompany us along the rest of the trip, but sadly, she was otherwise occupied, so we bade her farewell.

After a brainstorm session in which we discussed ways to improve the products Our Talking Hands was already marketing, we all went next door to a little bar to celebrate our time together. Scott thanked us for our efforts as we all enjoyed our drinks, and shared with us tales of his time with Peace Corps. It was a good end to the day, filled with cold drinks, laughter, and good company. Tomorrow we face another long drive back to Accra, with the prospect of finally reaching the ocean to greet us at the end- something we've all been looking forward to!

-Aaron N.

Jan. 2

This day started off three times for Nikolai. He trusted his watch. A watch that has been know to jump ahead an hour or so on occasion. This time it jumped two hours, something he did not realize till venturing from the room twice, the first realizing it was the wrong time before getting to the lobby, the second getting out of the building and to the dinning room before realizing it. Suffice to say, he feels bad as he accidentally awoke Nathan the second time when he left the room.

Breakfast was amazing as all food cooked by the amazing Auntie Theresa, we wish to bring back with us as we cannot imagine food without her anymore. Surprise after surprise of wondrous foods. We piled into our second home, the bus, to pick up Scott, Promise, Edward, and, of course, Stephanie. First stop was a little place next to Linda Dor to return the pig cooler and settle up on the books, receipts must be had! Then Osino where we waited on the side of the road out side the bank for Felix, who most did not realize had found us before we were following a bamboo bike riding man with a kente messenger bag, and questions were asked. Chris was a little amazed that the meeting up was so smooth, let alone happened, as the number he had for Felix was obtained six years ago and the only conversation setting it up had been a bit garbled.

Felix brought us to a shipping crate on the side of the road, which is how a good number of store fronts are set up, this one just happened to be right in front of the speed bumps in town. He walked us through the process of creating a bamboo bike. We saw their jigs for the bike making and also the blueprint for setting the jigs made form a vinyl printed mat. Also he used bauxite dust in with his epoxy resin for coloring which rocked. Prices were discussed, the going price for a bamboo bike here is a quarter of the price (or less) of what it is in the states.

Bauxite was the next stop, Abompe, a village a small drive away. Where we saw, we swear the same woman that we saw in pictures Chris took when he last visited some seven year prior, demo-ing the way to cut and drill bauxite chunks to create the beads. We figured out ways to improve our version at home that we tried out in our pre-req class. Smaller knife, better hold. Then Edward made a bit of a boast saying it would be easy and he knew exactly how to do it. After watching Chris, and both of us have a go and struggle in our own ways, he had the hardest time of it. Something we made a little fun of him for. Then a short walk to another store where a man allowed us to watch the carving process and the rounding. Before coming to Ghana, neither of us had heard or seen a carved bauxite, bead or otherwise. Pictures of our score and the process have been included.

Back to Scott's, some were given the option to go to the hotel for an hour to rest, neither of us did this, we jumped right back into our respectful projects. Autumn went to working with Aaron and Edward on passport holders, an item most of us bought back in the states. Inspired by her own passport bag, and the kente and batik fabrics, and possibly a little bit of the sachet wallets from the previous day, created a paper mock-up that put the interpreter, Nikolai, to the test with its complexity. Edward seemed excited to get to work after a few in-depth questions, and had started before we left for the night. Kudos to Edward for juggling allllll the projects he did; the passport bags, kente accent shirts, and his own work.

-Autumn and Nikolai