Social Affairs Minister Appreciates National Art Exhibition for Primary and Secondary Students in Jakarta
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) has expressed his appreciation for the staging of the Canvas of Dreams 2026 art exhibition, a platform for artistic expression, creativity and literacy for primary through junior high school pupils across Indonesia, organised by a national media outlet.
Gus Ipul said the event served as a vessel offering opportunities to children across Indonesia, including those with disabilities, to present works according to their respective talents.
“So thank you, Kompas — this can motivate many Indonesian children to pour out their talents, especially those who want to paint, perhaps write, or enjoy photography, and so on. All of it is part of creating opportunity,” said Gus Ipul in a press release on Monday (27 July 2026).
He made the remarks after touring the art exhibition at the Bentara Budaya Gallery on the 8th floor of Kompas Tower, Jakarta.
The event was enlivened by choir and poetry performances by pupils from SRMA 9 Jakarta and SRMA 10 Jakarta. Confidently, the pupils sang verse after verse in turn, greeted by enthusiastic applause from captivated participants.
“These are children who have received (Sekolah Rakyat) education for one year. They come from two schools, one in Pondok Indah and one in Pasar Rebo,” said Gus Ipul.
He further expressed hope that events such as Canvas of Dreams could be held again in the future and involve even more participants, especially children.
“It is not really about winning; it is about courage and opportunity — that is the most important thing about this event,” he said.
The chairman of the Canvas of Dreams 2026 organising committee, Wawan, explained that within roughly one month, more than a thousand works had been collected from children in 113 regencies and cities across 26 provinces.
From the thousand works, a screening process was carried out and 103 nominees were selected, announced in the print edition of Kompas on 24 July. From the 103 nominees, ten works were chosen to receive recognition across various categories such as painting, comics, short stories, poetry and short videos.
“Everything was good, everything was excellent, so those selected are the ones given appreciation,” said Wawan.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, said the event demonstrated the spirit of the younger generation in expressing great ideas through various works.
“Seeing these works, I am increasingly convinced that with these various achievements and events, the Golden Indonesia 2045 championed by President Prabowo will be realised,” said Abdul.
Also in attendance were Fatkhurohman Taufik, Special Staff to the Minister of Social Affairs for Communication and Mass Media; Andy Budiman Kumala, CEO of KG Media; Tri Agung Kristanto, Deputy General Manager of Harian Kompas; Haryo Damardono, Editor-in-Chief of Harian Kompas (Kompas.id); Lukminto Wibowo, Business Director of Harian Kompas (Kompas.id); Glory Oyong, Director of Corporate Communication at Kompas Gramedia; and other stakeholders.