To accelerate the economic growth rate and drive development in the economy and society, government, business, thought leaders, and civil society ought to explore ways to grow the economy by harnessing and funding the creative arts in tandem with industrialisation, commercial productivity and employment creation.
Since the advent ofCOVID-19in 2020, the art scene toned down considerably due to travel and other restrictions.
Art should be at the centre of youth and cultural education as well as diplomacy and policy making due to the critical role it plays in creating a self-sustaining occupation.
Prior to the decade 2000-2010, art contributed 12% to theGDP.
Renowned author Chenjerai Hove, commenting on the role of the artists said: “the artist has duties and tasks … that make the heart and soul of the earth tick.
An artist is present to instil society with a sense of self, and an image of self as dreamed up by his observation and dreams.
Images, pictures, sculptures, symbols help society to dream and aspire to a greater quality of life; hence the history of any society is better studied and analysed through broader appreciation of its artistic products”.
An encounter with Zimbabwe stone sculpture exhibition at Margham Sculpture Park in south Wales in 1986 prompted sculptor peter smith to comment: “Zimbabwean stone sculpture in its archetypal form is an expression of a collective unconscious trait within the tradition of the great Michelangelo, Rodin and Henry Moore… The kind of sculpture I aspire to.
The sculpture is a positive development in the relationship between white and black, African and European; as a point of common dialogue it depicts a vision of man and nature”
The past international success of Zimbabwe’s contemporary sculpture was not only due to the creative skills and visionary stature of the individual first generation artists, it was largely due to the universal values and exquisite signatory originality of the works as well as the cultural message embodied and expressed through the medium og stone, exclusive to Zimbabwe.
Government is duty bound to support the visual art sector with proper technical, educational and funding strategies for the arts of Zimbabwe to come to fruition as was experienced for two decades following independence.
Conducive export regulations and corporate collaborations are required to accelerate the development of the visual arts in Zimbabwe.
Having being involved in the art since 1986, and the beginning of the establishment of a new government policy, I witness the phenomenal rise and progress of the visual arts following independence in 1980.
During my tenure at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe as deputy head and head of exhibitions, I realised that new horizons needed to be set for the sustainable development of the visual arts in Zimbabwe.
A platform for national recognition for artists is required for the systematic and pragmatic development of the visual artist through sustainable patronage and financial inclusivity of the commercial sector – the clout behind the art.
Suffice to say, art and cultural progress is not only the result of government policy and bureaucratic decision making in the corridors of cultural offices, the people of Zimbabwe are the agents of their culture; the visual artists, writers, designers, architects, dancers, photographers and film makers all constitute the cultural personnel matrix of the creative industry of a country. 🔗 Read Full Article
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