| 1950 | The University College of Addis Ababa opens. Several artists exhibit at the university library and at the creative Arts center. |
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| 1952 | Afewerk Tekle paints AIDA, an affluent middle-aged Ethiopian lady. Such subjects become typical models for his subsequent paintings. |
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| 1954 | Afewerk Tekle's first solo exhibition is held at the former Addis Ababa City Hall. |
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| 1954 | Gebre Kristos Desta's first solo exhibition is held at the United States Information Service Library in Addis Ababa. |
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| 1955 | National Museum is established in Addis Ababa. Its permanent display will contain archeological and ethnographical artifacts as well as religious, folk and modern art works. |
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| 1955 | Yigezu Bisrat publishes his first series of books on Amharic alphabet calligraphy, Ethiopian ornaments and decorative patterns. It is widely used to illustrate certificates and medals |
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| 1955 | Haile Selassie I theater, known to some as Opera, is inaugurated in Addis Ababa, and from then on engages many artists as poster painters and stage designers. Exhibitions at the theatre gallery will be held by several prominent artists, including members of the Ethiopian Artist's club. |
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| 1955 | Inaugurated by Emperor Haile Selassie, the LION OF JUDAH sculpture is erected north of the main entrance of the Haile Selassie I theater. The sculptor is Frenchman Maurice Colka. It replaces the bronze Lion of Judah statue stolen by the Italians and later returned and erected in front of the Addis Ababa - Djibouti train station in Addis Ababa. |
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| 1955 | Afewerk Tekle is awarded the Prix de Rome. |
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| 1955 | Tadesse Gizaw designs and creates a steam engine. |
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| 1955 | Ale Felege Selam opens an art studio north of Addis Ababa. More than 20 artists apprentice under him at the studio. His first solo exhibition is also given there. |
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| 1957 | Kebede Mickael, Director General, Ministry of Education and Fine Arts, forms a committee to plan an international exhibition of Ethiopian Students' Arts and Crafts works. |
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| 1957 | Kebed Mikael personally supervises the construction of a new building for an art school at the Menelik II school campus. Latter, he writes some of his most accomplished works in one of its rooms. |
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| 1957 | Tadesse Gizaw finishes The SOVEREIGN, in metal, a portrait of the Emperor highly praised when first exhibited. |
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| 1958 | The FIRST ANNUAL ETHIOPIAN STUDENTS' ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBITION is held at the new Technical School Annex. It is estimated that more than 75,000 people attend the exhibition, which is officially opened by the Emperor. The judging committee for art include Afewerk Tekle, Emaylaf Heruy and Sylvia Pankhurst. Yigezu Bisrat designs the awards and certificates. |
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| 1958 | Tadesse Gizaw designs, molds, and cast a relief of angels and lions in profile for the decoration of His Majesty's state coach. |
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| 1959 | Artists from the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts, and other freelance artists meet and discuss ways and means of improving the country's arts. The formation of an artists club and organization of an exhibition are also discussed. Abebe Kebede, director of the Fine Arts section, leads the meeting. |
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| 1959 | The new art school, the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School, opens with its founder Ale Felege Selam as the director. Three Western artists, Vincenzo Fumo, Herbert Seiler and Hansen Bahia are members of the teaching staff during its formative years. |
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| 1959 | Abdurahman Mohammed Sherif's first solo exhibition is held at the French Club, Addis Ababa. |
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