A Royal Visit of Encouragement: Edina Traditional Council Stands with Artists at the Elmina Town of Art Project
There was a different kind of energy along historic Liverpool Street this past week. Amidst the scent of fresh paint and the quiet scrape of brushes on plaster, a representative from the Edina Traditional Council arrived at Ambrado Yer Anna Araba Smith Fie, the old Cornelis Nagtglas House. He came not with formal speeches, but with hands extended in fellowship and hearts invested in a shared vision.
The occasion was a working visit to the artists of the Elmina Town of Art Project, an ongoing initiative breathing new life into one of the town’s most storied colonial-era buildings. The artists, hard at work transforming Ambrado Yer Anna Araba Smith Fie into a living canvas of Edina’s past, present, and creative future, paused to receive Nana Amissah Mensah-Dadziebo, speaking on behalf of Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, the revered Omanhen of the Edina Traditional Area.
More Than a Walkthrough
For the artists, many of whom have spent days labouring under the coastal sun, layering murals and installations that speak to Elmina’s resilience, trade, and cultural memory, the visit was more than a ceremonial walkthrough. It was a moment of recognition.
Nana Amissah Mensah-Dadziebo moved through the space with genuine attention, pausing at emerging details, reading the symbols of unity and memory being woven quietly into the architecture itself. Addressing the team, he conveyed the Omanhen’s deep appreciation for their craft and courage.
What you are doing here is not merely decoration. You are reclaiming public space. You are telling our own story from our own vantage point. Nana Kodwo Conduah VI sees your labour, and Edina stands with you.
Nana Amissah Mensah-Dadziebo, speaking on behalf of the Omanhen of Edina
He commended the artists for their continued engagement and discipline, noting that the transformation of the house, once associated with colonial administration, into a hub of indigenous creativity was a powerful act of historical dialogue.
They Did Not Come Empty-Handed
Understanding the practical realities of on-site creation, the Council arrived with more than just words. They presented the artist team with high-visibility safety vests, a thoughtful gesture ensuring their protection as they work along Liverpool Street, which remains an active thoroughfare. Refreshments were also shared, a small but meaningful token to sustain the team through long hours of concentration and physical effort.
For Emmanuel Eshun, the team lead and one of the driving forces behind the Elmina Town of Art vision, the visit resonated deeply.
This is not easy work. But when the Traditional Council walks through that door, not to inspect but to encourage, it changes something in the room. We feel seen. We feel rooted. And we are more committed than ever to making Elmina proud.
Emmanuel Eshun, Team Lead, Elmina Town of Art Project
A New Chapter for an Old House
Ambrado Yer Anna Araba Smith Fie, built in 1865 by Governor Cornelis Nagtglas for his Ghanaian wife, Anna Araba Smith, has long stood as a silent witness to Elmina’s layered history, from European trading companies to post-independence Ghanaian life. Through the Town of Art project, it is being reimagined not as a monument to empire, but as a space for collective memory, public art, and community pride.
With the blessing of the Edina Traditional Council and the steady hands of Eshun and his team, the walls of Ambrado Yer Anna Araba Smith Fie are beginning to speak a new language, one of belonging, beauty, and purpose.
Looking Ahead
As the sun sets over Liverpool Street, the artists continue their work, now wearing bright vests gifted by their own chiefs. The Elmina Town of Art Project is far from finished, but with each brushstroke, it becomes clearer: this is not an imported idea. It is a homegrown renaissance.