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At The Gallery
Work experience is a widely required factor when individuals set out on the job market and in that essence many do not know the importance of such experience when it comes to sub sectors such as Visual Art.
There is always a mortifying reluctance to take in students with either a Fine Art or Graphic Design qualification into an organization regardless of the entrepreneurial skills and marketing knowledge and this reluctance is usually because the calling is greatly manual in nature.

In a situation such as this, it is imperative for the National Gallery of Zimbabwe to better aid graduates from institutions of learning that concentrate on art through programmes such as the Artist in Residence initiative.

The Artist in Residence programme is open to Graduate Students who have pursued Fine Art or Visual Arts. The preferred ages for participants of the programme is usually open to individuals between the ages of 20 to 30 years.

The criteria for consideration into the programme are based on different evaluation methods including educational merit, assessment on the quality of work produced and extramural conduct. The Artists Residency programme also has forethought in relation to women applying and has in the past two years and currently had a female artist in practice.

The Artist in Residence programme at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe School of Visual Arts and Design does not stop at giving the graduate artist a studio facility in which to create work.

The greater purpose of the residency is to nurture networking skills and incorporate a strong business-oriented work ethic that prepares the resident artist for industry. The flexibility that is attained after participating in the programme has seen previous participants being more confident in taking opportunities abroad and marketing their artwork in a manner that prevents them from insolvency.

Advantages of the Artist in Residence programme entail a biweekly critique administered by the School of Visual Art and Design teaching staff which is composed of practicing artists and a guest artist who is approached to constructively criticize the individual. There is also the matter of studio space, which is situated away from the regular student’s classrooms and working space and thanks to MEDLOG Zimbabwe, a representative of the Mediterranean Shipping Company Zimbabwe, a new 20 foot Container now serves as a studio for artists in residence.

The use of the studio addresses two major concerns that had halted the facilitation of the programme. There had been limited space to introduce the programme as the School’s Beatrice Cottages location was now utilized to capacity. The container studio represents a step towards the utilization of creative architectural solution and is a preview of what workspaces could look like in the future in Zimbabwe.

Currently, Evans Mutenga who graduated from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe School of Visual Art and Design last year is on the Artist in Residence programme. Mutenga outlined the benefits of the residency.

“Now we have a grasp of basic art history from around the world,” he said.
“Aside from that, we have learnt several new techniques and have become adapted to new media.”

Mutenga said the Artist in Residence programme has buoyed his networking skills and he is now ready for the business world.