Artists need to cast their nets wider

Stephen Garan’anga : Own Correspondent

When doors seem not to be opening up you think your misery is the toughest and there is not an escape hatch. Being stuck in the mud can be as frustrating but you still have to wriggle and ooze through. Sustaining a living entirely out of art is no easy feat, but a journey of treacherous terrain with no guarantees but the feel of a jungle road less travelled especially for us of African continent. Circumstances have obliged us to lean heavily on the foreign to come and consume our creativity and other cultural products which is unsustainable.

In Zimbabwe gone are the days of the early 19th century when there was recorded brisk artefacts business in territories along the Zambezi River from European travellers, fortune seekers, hunters and adventurers, then the period of the 1960s to the 90s when the country’s stone sculpture took everything under its wings exploiting the foreign market mostly of some Western countries.

As things do not remain the same, today as visual artists we feel stuck in a gruesome situation of relentless economic hardship where all doors feel shut. The foreign visit has severely dwindled and local art platforms and opportunities are scarce almost like none existent with meagre returns. It is high time practitioners make serious effort to encroach into the foreign market, searching for open-call platforms like exhibitions both online and non-online, competitions, grants, artist-in-residence programs, workshops, participation in art festivals, professional gallery system representations, furthering art education to highlight a few.

Yes it’s a jungle out there as hundreds of thousands the world over via for the same but they exist. Only the credibility of one’s work and meeting the requirements will save the day but one has to find the opportunities first. Ample time must be afforded to the marketing of the work as it is of similar significance as the production.

Patience and caution must be fully exercised as frustration often outweighs the success but if achieved can be gratifying life defining moments. Artists should not expect any major shifts as long as they do not have anything out there in this regard.

Applications for foreign platforms come in various forms and require crystal clear understanding. They have various terms and conditions which must be adhered to and the relevant info is available on the cyber space. Today’s world has nothing entirely for free and costs have to be incurred for sweet victory.

Many opportunities which now are dealt with online require one to submit a cover letter, an application, and images of current work. Professional exhibition history will be taken into consideration. Very often application fees are required and may vary from US$10 to anything but may not get to a 100.

Some require certain amount of payment per every uploaded application image. Once required payment has been effected will be prompt acknowledgement and application regarded complete and up for consideration. But this does not guarantee one to be awarded the opportunity.

Some online art exhibitions and competitions permit entries without any payments but just the filling in of their form, attachment of professional documentation and relevant images. Other major art funding institutions too do not require any fees at all as their mission is to aid, internationally, those individuals who have worked as professional artists over a significant period of time.

They welcome, throughout the year, applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. There have no deadlines. They encourage applications from artists who have genuine financial needs that are not necessarily catastrophic.

The grants are intended for a one-year period of time. They will consider need on the part of an applicant for all legitimate expenditures relating to his or her professional work and personal living, including medical expenses. The size of the grant is determined by the individual circumstances of the artist. Professional exhibition history will be taken into consideration.

Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.

Artist-in-residence programmes are critical platforms that all artists should give a shot at as they can be major game changers in one’s career. They are opportunities which exist to invite artists , academicians, curators, and all manner of creative people for a time and space away from their usual environment and obligations. They are crucial for artists’ development both artistically and individually as they shove them further away from their inner circles and comfort zones of their practice.

They offer critical space for creative experimentation, production, learning from others and networking. They allow an individual to explore his or her practice within another community; meeting new people, using new materials, experiencing life in a new location. Art residencies emphasize the importance of meaningful and multi-layered cultural exchange and immersion into another culture.

There is no single model, and the expectations and requirements vary greatly.

The relationship between the resident and the host is often an important aspect of a residency program.

Sometimes residents become quite involved in a community – giving presentations, workshops, or collaborating with local residents.

Application conditions also vary with each institution as some are fully funded from the travel expenses, accommodation, stipends, materials and exhibitions.

Others offer almost the same but may ask you to meet your travel costs whist some will offer you only the working space and the rest is at your cost.

Some residency programs are incorporated within larger institutions. Other organisations exist solely to support residential exchange programs. Residencies can be a part of museums, universities, galleries, studio spaces, theatres, artist-run-spaces, municipalities, governmental offices, and even festivals.

They can be seasonal, ongoing, or tied to a particular one-time event. Working periods may range from two weeks to six months or sometimes even a year.

They exist in urban spaces, rural villages, container ships and deep in nature. Hundreds of such opportunities and organizations exist throughout the world.