Sundaymail Editor
Andrew Moyo
OVER 150 visual artists are set to light up Wild Geese Lodge this coming Sunday as the eighth edition of the annual Arts Festival takes centre stage.
Being the biggest arts fete of its kind in the country, this is one event not to miss for art collectors and enthusiasts of the craft.
From established artists to those who are still finding their way into the industry, there will not be a shortage of talent on show.
Whether one likes oil on canvas or sculpture – there will definitely be something for everyone. While art will be the main attraction, music, food and drinks will certainly liven up the occasion.
Besides works on display, one of the most anticipated segments of the event takes place around lunch time. This is the Art Demonstration where 16 artists will complete a painting in 15 minutes while the public gather round to watch.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Society, organiser Leslie Johnson said considering the talent they have registered, the event is going to be as exciting as previous editions.
“We had 98 new artists applying and it was a daunting task for our committee to select 25 as all of them showed great promise,” said Johnson.
“We have had to be very strict this year about limiting the number of entries as we want the event to be both easy for the public to view and also of benefit to the artists. We have registered 150 artists but some of these are made up of groups, for instance, there are a few sculpture groups.”
Numerous household names that include Liberty Shuro, Daryl Nero, Keith Zenda, Marlene Bornman, John Kotze, Barry Lungu and Cosmas Shiridzinomwa are among the artists that will be exhibiting their works.
Johnson added that the event has grown over the years, with thousands of people coming through.
“The event has grown every year with more people coming through the gate and more artwork being sold. Last year we had more than 8 000 people visit the show and we sold in excess of US$80 000 worth of artwork.”
Entry into the event is by donation, with proceeds going to The Vimba Project, which is focused on rebuilding a school in Kopa, which was destroyed by Cyclone Idai. The Friend Animal Foundation will also benefit
Online Reporter