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Trust Khosa

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) will host a one-day workshop dubbed “The Business of Art” tomorrow, meant to empower local creatives.

Facilitated by Handirubvi Herring, a Master of Arts Teaching degree holder from George Washington University, US, the event is open to visual artists interested in self-management, marketing themselves, and itching for international exposure.

In an interview, one of the facilitators and curators for education, Senzeni Tandani, urged local visual artists to come out in their numbers.

“The workshop is open to all the visual artists who want to understand how to do business in this era of technology.

“We are not restricting people because we want to engage all the visual artists as we seek to empower them to do business online.

“The workshop will highlight some of the issues affecting visual artists,” she said.

Tandani told The Herald Arts that a link will be shared to ensure that other creatives who cannot afford to attend follow the workshop online.

“Those who cannot afford to be with us physically can still follow the workshop online.

“It will start at 11 am at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.

“It is open to everyone, we are not restricting people as I said,” she added.

A precursor to the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for August 17 in Harare, the workshop is part of the major events taking place in Harare.

One of the major events is the visual arts exhibition at NGZ featuring household names from the Tengenenge Arts Community.

These include Fanizani Akuda, Henry Munyaradzi, Joram Mariga, Bernard Matemera, Sylvester Mubay, Henry Mukarobgwa, Joseph Ndandarika, Richard Mteki, Colleen Madamombe (the best-known female sculptor) Bernard Takawira and his brother John Takawira and the Mukomberanwa family.

NGZ executive director, Raphael Chikukwa, recently took The Herald Arts on a tour of the facility where art collections from the 16-member bloc are showing.

Dubbed “InnovateSADC: Transformation and Unity in Southern Africa through the Arts” the exhibition is to enlighten delegates attending the summit on what African artists can offer.

According to their curatorial statement, the exhibition celebrates the intersection of creativity, technology, and social change within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Through the lens of the arts, this transformative event explores how innovation can drive unity, resilience, and sustainable development across the region.

Drawn from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s permanent collection, the artworks offer a glimpse into the transformation and unity in the region.

Artists and creators leverage art making and practice to address societal challenges, promote cultural heritage, and amplify marginalised voices.

Artists delve into questions of identity, belonging, and migration, reflecting the rich tapestry of SADC’s people. The artworks also bridge cultural divides, emphasising shared experiences and interconnectedness across member states.

This exhibition investigates how art responds to resource extraction, environmental justice, and sustainable practices in Southern Africa and showcases artworks and objects from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

InnovateSADC is a celebration of arts where art meets innovation, fostering a resilient and united Southern Africa.

Visual arts have been hailed for their role in chronicling our history through powerful art collections.

Locally, Zimbabwe boasts of creatives who are touring the world showcasing their wares among them Moffat Takadiwa.