Zimbabwe

“From Humble beginnings to International Acclaim”

 _{The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) this year celebrates 5O years of contributing to the development of the arts. The theme of the Gallery's Golden Year celebrations is dubbed: "From Humble beginnings to international Acclaim." The NGZ was established from humble beginnings and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth of England on 16th July 1957. Up to the year of the Zimbabwean independence in 1980, the Gallery had been created mainly to showcase European culture as it exhibited tastes and developments largely determined by the Rhodesian viewpoint with its tenuous attachment to the metropole, and its flirtation with the rest of the world. But shortly after the opening, it was discovered that there existed a great deal of creativity amongst the indigenous population and this trait was to develop and grow and become a very important aspect of Zimbabwean contemporary cultural development.}

_{From its inception, the gallery has been the nation's recognised platform for the advancement and development of stone sculpture. This began with the opening of National Gallery Workshop School in 1956 which was directed by Frank McEwen.}

_{McEwen taught aspiring artists of those early days to create pictures which resulted in the artists going to America under the auspices of the Museum of Modern Art, in New York in 1968. The gallery staged the first International Congress of African Culture in 1962 which many scholars and lovers of African culture attended. This event placed not only the Gallery on the map, but also its contribution to the development and interrogation of contemporary African art was firmly established. This in turn ensured that all future marketing and promotion strategies around the newly discovered modern stone movement met with receptivity and interest in most of the art centers of the World.}

_{The major highlights in the Gallery's life span include being featured in various international films and television programmes. The NGZ also participated at numerous international events such as Commonwealth Arts Festival in New Zealand in 1990. The Gallery has also played hosts to a variety of international celebrated artists that include Chris Ofil of England, Twins Seven Seven of Nigeria and Valentine Malangatana of Mozambique. The gallery provided the impetus for the development of the internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture movement, which has witnessed a phenomenal growth over the past 50 years and is recognized as one of the most important contemporary creative manifestations to have come from the African continent.}

_{Truly the Gallery has worked hard to promote local art forms and to encourage and support Zimbabwean artists over the years as it has been the centre that has showcased a wide variety of art forms both from this country and from all corners of the globe. It has established wider local and international contacts in order to better cultivate a market for the local artists and offer stimulation to the artists to be able to remain creative and productive in a sometimes-discouraging environment.}

_{The British American Tobacco (BAT) company in 1982 sponsored to open the Visual Arts Studios which trained young artists the basics of the trade. Most of the young artists who have come through the Studios have grown to become some of the leading names in the industry. These include the world renowned sculptor Dominic Beuhura, Chikonzero Chizunguza, Calvin Dondo and Colleen Madamombe. The future of the Gallery is very promising as it was reaching out to many sectors of the society in an attempt to offer them the art experience. This has seen the Gallery introducing quality works of art to the Harare International Airport, the Parliament as well as various other public places in its effort to encourage greater awareness and appetite for the arts.}

_{The NGZ has two other galleries in the country in Bulawayo and Mutare where local people can catch a glimpse of exhibitions.}