A stakeholder meeting at the Harare National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe resolved to utilise a sustainable approach in the execution of its duties including reviewing policies, carrying out health and safety policy awareness, artist and client needs assessments while addressing challenges and exploring opportunities for better use.

Raphel Chikukwa director National Arts Gallery of Zimbabwe, who restored his Shona name Chinovava ascertained the creation of more spaces for artists in the four galleries in and around the country including finding lasting solutions for the Mutare branch which is facing closure.

In his executive remarks, Chikukwa urged artists to speak for themselves on the best way they want the Harare National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe, which is also the head office, to be accessible to artists and the market.

He said  plans were at an advanced stage to uplift Tengenenge Arts Gallery in Guruve to a tourist resort as it carries a long history of the nation and a wide collection of sculptures deemed suitable for permanent collections.

Moreover, the Victoria Falls National Arts Gallery in Zimbabwe will be officially opened in February 2025.

Veronica Muchemwa, deputy director and curator of the National Arts Gallery of Zimbabwe said the meeting was a crucial step in moving forward with the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and would be founded on objectives that include, and are not limited to, aligning the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s mandate, goals and expectations through discussing NGZ’s overall goals in relation to national priorities and goals.

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This also includes key deliverables and the expected outcomes and will ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a shared vision.

“Through this process, we need to identify key stakeholders and their roles: We'll map out the various stakeholders involved in this institution, their specific roles and their level of involvement. We will devise ways to forge a mutually beneficial relationship between the stakeholders and the institution. This will help us to establish clear lines of communication and collaboration.

“In addition to that we need to establish communication channels that determine the most effective communication channels for sharing information, updates and decision-making. This will ensure timely and efficient communication. We need to identify potential risks and challenges. We'll proactively identify potential risks and challenges that may impact NGZ's success. By addressing these upfront, we can develop mitigation strategies to minimise their impact,” said Muchemwa.

The meeting revolved around the government of Zimbabwe  working tool, which focuses on and scrutinises the political, economic, social, technology, legal, environment and governance analysis. In summary on the political side, the house applauded the Zimbabwean government for sending nine artists to the La Viennese Biennial in ltaly which was the highest across all nations in the world.

The house also said the artifacts and materials curated in the galleries were a sign of freedom of expression and galleries should expand their curation services.

Dickson Dickson, secretary for the Tengenenge Arts Gallery in Guruve expressed great excitement for receiving the news that their institution, which houses sculptures, will soon be turned into a tourist attraction.

Dickson begged for incentives from the government that enable experienced artists at the Tengenenge Arts Gallery to mentor the school-going ages and job seekers in visual arts.

On the economy, there was a common belief that the arts have a delayed return and accordingly the players in the creative and cultural industries, the visual artists in particular, must be capacitated with financial literacy which includes having their own insurance and trust funds.

The artists suggested that the government should allow established artists to invest in galleries and hold a stake in the National Gallery of Mutare if it is to reopen.

It was also pointed out that galleries accommodate people indiscriminately and they reflect the spatial distribution of a people’s culture.

recommendations were made on the need to effectively use computer-based technologies to add visibility to creative works while protecting intellectual property. Artists were encouraged to acquaint themselves with social media marketing techniques.

Keynotes:

Kenneth Chivizhe DR K (multifaceted artist)

Medicine is art. We need to respect indigenous knowledge systems and perfect them. Every culture and nationality has its own medicine and cure. 

The stakeholders meeting was a success and it will go a long way in shaping deliberations on making a good strategy. We expect more people to visit the National Galleries in Zimbabwe.

Tony Rumano visual artist

Most artists suffer from lung diseases because of  the dust they inhale and also from of the found objects. A serious health awareness campaign should be carried out while encouraging artists to invest in a medical aid.

During work artists should remember to put all their hands behind the cutting edges and should understand ergonometric issues about posture and distances between them and the artifacts they will be working on.

Moffat Takadiwa visual artist, founder Mbare Art Space and National Arts Council board member

We would like to thank the organisers of the Zimbabwean Pavilion at the La Viennese Biennial in Italy for a sterling job.

I would like to encourage fellow visual artists to work hard and apply themselves fully to best fit into the requirements of curators or researchers.

l would also want to encourage artists to carry out research and consult the learned from universities and colleges on the best ways of presenting creative works.

Co-operation among privately owned studios, learning institutions, and universities is vital.

List of clients of the gallery

The meeting identified artists, viewers, media, researchers and collaborators as the clients of the gallery. A hierarchy of needs must be drawn which brings into a clear picture the need to urgently put in place exhibition facilities, training and capacitation, supporting infrastructure, funding and financial management tools, financial literacy, creation of marketing places, sustainable budgets, construction of creative spaces, guilds and associations, organisation of social insurance and a code of discipline.

There is a need to amplify government support which allows artists to exhibit in all national spaces like schools, colleges, offices and events. Viewers prefer quality exhibitions and also demand improved access to information.

To this end, a comprehensive media pack is needed to effectively market the national art galleries. Researchers who visit galleries need improved access to information from key informants who in this case can be curators or the owners of the work.

Policy reviews

There is a need to review the National Galleries Act and put in place a legal framework that protects artists’ work when they exhibit at international platforms.
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