The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) and Ventures Platform have inaugurated a three-year collaboration at Pan-Atlantic University with a N10 million national art commission to empower the next generation of Nigerian innovators.
In a statement on Thursday, the university announced that the initiative, unveiled as part of Ventures Platform’s 10th anniversary, would blend entrepreneurial learning with a public art commissioning programme known as the Ventures Platform–YSMA Futures Art Award.
According to the statement, the initiative which combines a university-wide entrepreneurship engagement programme, is aimed at inspiring students and artists to explore innovation, creativity and future-focused thinking.
The platform would provide students direct access to experienced investors and operators through guest lectures, masterclasses and practical sessions designed to offer real-world insights into building scalable ventures.
The museum will serve as a bridge within the university, aligning the programme with its experiential learning model and interdisciplinary approach to education.
It would expand opportunities for students to interact with industry leaders and creative thinkers.
According to the statement, the Futures Art Award, an annual N10 million public sculpture commission, will support artists to create large-scale outdoor works within the museum’s sculpture garden and campus environment.
The organisers said the award would encourage artists to explore themes of innovation, the future and public engagement through durable, technology-informed and experiential sculptures that reflect bold thinking and creativity.
Founder and General Partner of Ventures Platform, Kola Aina, said the initiative was designed to nurture innovation through imagination and practical exposure.
“At Ventures Platform, we see every day how innovative thinking can expand access and solve hard problems but we also recognise that progress is driven as much by imagination as it is by execution.
“As we mark our 10th anniversary, this initiative reflects our commitment to intentionally designing environments where the next generation of founders can emerge, equipped with clarity, capability, and conviction to build for the future,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of Pan-Atlantic University, Enase Okonedo, said the initiative would strengthen the institution’s commitment to interdisciplinary education and experiential learning by connecting students with industry leaders and creative innovators.
She said the programme would enhance the university’s capacity to produce well-rounded graduates with both entrepreneurial and creative competencies.
Museum Director, Jess Castellote, said the collaboration reinforced the role of museums as platforms for shaping the future through public engagement and experiential learning.
“This collaboration reflects our belief that museums are not just spaces for preserving the past, but platforms for shaping the future through public engagement,” he said.
Castellote added that the programme would create new ways for artists, students and visitors to engage with ideas that define modern society.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that applications for the Futures Art Award opens from April 2 to May 18, with Nigerian and non-Nigerian artists based in Nigeria invited to submit proposals for outdoor sculptures designed for long-term public display.
