The Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal, marked its fifth anniversary on Wednesday with a free day for the public. However, the event drew a disappointingly low turnout, with only a few dozen visitors.
Museum officials said they were hoping to use the event to encourage more Senegalese people to visit the museum and learn about the country’s rich history and culture. However, they acknowledged that they had not done enough to promote the event.
“We were hoping for a bigger turnout,” said Christian Diatta, the museum’s secretary general. “We know that many Senegalese people don’t visit museums, and we wanted to use this opportunity to change that.”
Diatta said the museum has been working to make its exhibits more accessible to the public, including by reducing admission prices. However, he said more needs to be done to raise awareness about the museum and its mission.
“We need to do a better job of communicating with the public,” he said. “We need to let people know that the museum is here for them.”
Some visitors who did attend the event expressed disappointment with the low turnout.
“It’s important to visit museums and learn about our culture,” said Sami Alami, a French-Moroccan student. “I’m surprised that there aren’t more people here.”
Alami said he believes the low turnout was due to a lack of advertising.
“I’ve only seen a few other people here,” he said. “I think more people would come if they knew about it.”
Seyni Dieng, a Senegalese student, said he was not aware of the event until he arrived at the museum.
“I usually come here,” he said. “But I didn’t know about the free day. I was about to pay when I found out.”
Dieng said he believes more people would visit the museum if it were more affordable.
“If the museum were free all the time, I think more people would come,” he said.
Karl Kareoba, a French painter and sculptor, said he believes the low turnout is a reflection of a broader problem in Senegal.
“The government needs to do more to promote art and culture,” he said. “They need to make it more accessible to people.”
Kareoba said he believes the museum should take its exhibits on the road to reach more people.
“They need to bring the art to the people,” he said.
The museum’s officials said they are committed to making the museum more accessible to the public. They said they plan to continue to promote the museum and its exhibits in the future.
The museum’s fifth anniversary celebrations will continue on December 12 with a series of events, including a concert, a dance performance, and a symposium.
