Compared to some of its near neighbours in West Africa, The Gambia has created few artistic ethnographic objects.
Most villages had blacksmith-craftsmen, but the cultural area with huge expertise stretching across the generations and down through the centuries was that of music and oral traditions.

Musicians played drums and the kora (a complex stringed instrument). Griots, storytellers and poets who preserved knowledge of ancestors and of oral traditions, were vital guardians of the culture. However, recent decades have seen a sudden blossoming in the visual arts and the emergence of a number of internationally respected artists.

There are many young artists emerging in The Gambia today and who are benefiting from the surge in interest and support that stems from both the growth in tourism and international development aid.
As in many African countries, the Alliance-Francais has been particularly active in its support and has organised and/or hosted numerous exhibitions.
A number of galleries have also sprung up – Lemonfish Art Gallery, the Village Gallery, African Heritage, Gaya Art galleries and the major hotels often show high quality work.