‘Art Zimbabwe Today’ opens at Gallery Delta

sculptures by a mixed bag of 25 seasoned artists under the theme “Art Zimbabwe Today”.
The magnificent show illustrates the very high standard of Zimbabwean contemporary fine art that has been globally renowned for decades. It is this unlimited high power of creative imagination by the local artists that has secured them various international opportunities over the years like the 2011 edition of the Venice Biennale in Italy.
The current show has latest offerings from Arthur Azevedo, Virginia Chihota, Tafadzwa Gwetai, Masimba Hwati, Helen Lieros, Shepherd Mahufe, Wallen Mapondera, Misheck Masamvu, Munyaradzi Mazarire, Gareth Nyandoro, Greg Shaw, Cosmas Shiridzinomwa, Marjorie Wallace, Richard Witikani, Portia Zvavahera, to mention a few.
Gallery Delta also secured “Colour Africa 2011” – an exhibition of Zimbabwean contemporary art to open at Amalienstrasse 81 in Munich on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.
The initiative stems from Verena Nolte, an arts consultant of Munich and trustee of our foundation, and the gallery, over the past year.
The venue is in the most important street and quarter for art in all of Munich. Further, the exhibition coincides with the 15th year of the twinning of the cities of Harare and Munich, and will be supported in part by the City of Munich Art and Cultural Department.
It is hoped that the exhibition will attract as much interest and success as that of the first “Colour Africa” held at the Rathaus Gallery in 2000 and, will elevate Zimbabwean artists on an international platform which they so justly deserve.
The costs to be borne and met in Munich for the organisation, venue, printing and publishing, mounting and presenting the exhibition are expected to reach US$20 000 which has been pledged from external donors and sponsors.
While, however, the Munich promotion is a good and important promise for the longer term, Gallery Delta is in financial difficulty to maintain its operations and activities locally. This occurs because of the prevailing economic situation and the difficulty, so far this year, is securing substantial donor funding to bolster and sustain themselves.
Simply, irrespective of the number and high artistic standard of the gallery’s exhibitions, they cannot engender sufficient sales to satisfy the needs of the artists nor the gallery.
The amount needed to maintain the gallery and its activities is US$4 000 a month or US$48 000 a year. Immediately, however, they are seeking US$12 000 to sustain them for three months while they seek more substantial funding from donor agencies.
Gallery Delta is asking for help locally from individuals, companies and corporations at such a critical moment in their 36 years of existence and to fulfil such an important external project.
Surely, the gallery cannot expect all the financial needs to come from external sources but that Zimbabweans should be invited to participate and be proud to do so.
There is the prospect of better times in the marketing of contemporary African and Zimbabwean art externally, provided they continue to exist long enough to fulfil the opportunity they have created.
l Stephen Garan’anga, is an international fine art practitioner, independent art projects co-ordinator, chairperson of AfricanColours Artists, executive member of Batapata International Artists’ Workshop, critical visual arts writer amongst other things. [email protected]