An Evaluation of Factors Affecting Visual Fine Artists in the wake of COVID-19 towards Economic Empowerment in Kisumu City

Abstract

Fine Artists are among the population residing in a cosmopolitan city of Kisumu and they leverage on their skills and talents for economic empowerment.Kisumu city economic empowerment is currently experiencing the highest average urban "poverty levels at 48% against a national average of 29%. Available statistics indicate that Kisumu, which is net food importer, registers one of the highest incidences of food poverty with 53.4% of its population living below the food poverty line as compared to Nairobi [8.4%], Mombasa [38.6%] and Nakuru [30%]. Kisumu being the third largest city, yet even Nakuru is a head of it in terms of poverty line it calls for a study to find out the position of Fine Artists who rely on their skills and talents for economic empowerment in the wake of COVI-19. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors affecting visual fine artists in the wake of covid-19 towards economic empowerment in Kisumu city. The findings revealed that sicknessranked first, followed with low sells of artworks, then displacement from working sites and curfew contributed to the challenges respectively.