ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE

This study contributes to the field of cultural heritage preservation by critically exploring the underexplored significance of fine art in increasingly urbanising environments in Delta State, Nigeria. Unlike previous studies that have treated art primarily as aesthetic or symbolic, this study uses...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Valentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH, Collins Oghenekome OJOH, Uchechukwu OGUM
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Federal University Wukari 2025-06-01
Series:International Studies Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wissjournals.com.ng/index.php/wiss/article/view/657
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849768416258293760
author Valentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH
Collins Oghenekome OJOH
Uchechukwu OGUM
author_facet Valentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH
Collins Oghenekome OJOH
Uchechukwu OGUM
author_sort Valentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH
collection DOAJ
description This study contributes to the field of cultural heritage preservation by critically exploring the underexplored significance of fine art in increasingly urbanising environments in Delta State, Nigeria. Unlike previous studies that have treated art primarily as aesthetic or symbolic, this study uses a multi-method approach qualitative interviews, visual analyses, and quantitative surveys to investigate how fine art functions as a medium for encoding, managing, and communicating cultural identity in three urban centres: Asaba, Warri, and Sapele. Through 399 survey responses and in-depth interviews with artists, urban planners, and cultural stakeholders, the study reveals a complex landscape in which only 34.09% of respondents perceive public art as linked to cultural identity, despite 89.97% acknowledging its potential for transmitting traditional values. Notably, the study identifies systemic barriers such as policy inaction, public disinterest, and funding limitations as critical impediments (R² = 0.975, *p* < 0.001), diverging from existing literature that emphasizes either community apathy or lack of infrastructure in isolation. By foregrounding participatory and site-specific art practices, particularly in Asaba and Sapele, this research contributes a novel analytical framework that situates fine art as an active agent in preserving intangible heritage amid urban change. It recommends culturally embedded art policies and enhanced community engagement as pathways to revitalizing heritage discourse in urban Nigeria.
format Article
id doaj-art-88728a59e67a44fa9663e2cd2a3e0f43
institution DOAJ
issn 2756-4649
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Federal University Wukari
record_format Article
series International Studies Journal
spelling doaj-art-88728a59e67a44fa9663e2cd2a3e0f432025-08-20T03:03:49ZengFederal University WukariInternational Studies Journal2756-46492025-06-0193ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATEValentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH0Collins Oghenekome OJOH1Uchechukwu OGUM2DEPARTMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS, DENNIS OSADEBAY UNIVERSITY, ASABA, DELTA STATEDEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING, DENNIS OSADEBAY UNIVERSITY, ASABA, DELTA STATEDEPARTMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS, DENNIS OSADEBAY UNIVERSITY, ASABA, DELTA STATE This study contributes to the field of cultural heritage preservation by critically exploring the underexplored significance of fine art in increasingly urbanising environments in Delta State, Nigeria. Unlike previous studies that have treated art primarily as aesthetic or symbolic, this study uses a multi-method approach qualitative interviews, visual analyses, and quantitative surveys to investigate how fine art functions as a medium for encoding, managing, and communicating cultural identity in three urban centres: Asaba, Warri, and Sapele. Through 399 survey responses and in-depth interviews with artists, urban planners, and cultural stakeholders, the study reveals a complex landscape in which only 34.09% of respondents perceive public art as linked to cultural identity, despite 89.97% acknowledging its potential for transmitting traditional values. Notably, the study identifies systemic barriers such as policy inaction, public disinterest, and funding limitations as critical impediments (R² = 0.975, *p* < 0.001), diverging from existing literature that emphasizes either community apathy or lack of infrastructure in isolation. By foregrounding participatory and site-specific art practices, particularly in Asaba and Sapele, this research contributes a novel analytical framework that situates fine art as an active agent in preserving intangible heritage amid urban change. It recommends culturally embedded art policies and enhanced community engagement as pathways to revitalizing heritage discourse in urban Nigeria. https://wissjournals.com.ng/index.php/wiss/article/view/657Fine artcultural heritageurban developmentDelta StateNigeria
spellingShingle Valentina Edna Owalegba OJIEH
Collins Oghenekome OJOH
Uchechukwu OGUM
ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
International Studies Journal
Fine art
cultural heritage
urban development
Delta State
Nigeria
title ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
title_full ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
title_fullStr ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
title_full_unstemmed ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
title_short ROLE OF FINE ART IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREAS IN DELTA STATE
title_sort role of fine art in preserving cultural heritage within rapidly developing urban areas in delta state
topic Fine art
cultural heritage
urban development
Delta State
Nigeria
url https://wissjournals.com.ng/index.php/wiss/article/view/657
work_keys_str_mv AT valentinaednaowalegbaojieh roleoffineartinpreservingculturalheritagewithinrapidlydevelopingurbanareasindeltastate
AT collinsoghenekomeojoh roleoffineartinpreservingculturalheritagewithinrapidlydevelopingurbanareasindeltastate
AT uchechukwuogum roleoffineartinpreservingculturalheritagewithinrapidlydevelopingurbanareasindeltastate