ZIMBABWE – HARARE (The Herald) - The Canadian Embassy in conjunction with ZimArt recently held a charity exhibition in Harare.
The exhibition that was held at a colourful event at the Rainbow Towers last Friday was aimed at fundraising for projects in Zimbabwe supporting HIV and Aids.
Fran Fearnley, the curator of Rice Lake Gallery in Canada and founder of ZimArt said the auctioning of the sculptures that were on exhibition would raise funds for food, clothing and school fees for HIV and Aids initiatives being run in different centres.
"This is my way of ploughing back to the community and artists I work with," said Fearnley. The exhibition which saw about 80 people converging at Rainbow, was also aimed at promoting artists, whose works were auctioned. "Today's event enables us to retreat for a while into a world of truth and beauty, into the world of art. In particular, it serves as a refreshing reminder of the dynamism and vitality of Zimbabwean culture," said Roxanne Dube, the Canadian ambassador to Zimbabwe.
"The arts are also a powerful medium of communication. With this in mind, the government of Canada, through the Canadian Embassy, is pleased to support programmes that promote artistic expression and development in Zimbabwe," said Dube. Simon Chidharara, a Chitungwiza-based sculptor and 19 other artists donated some artworks for auctioning to support ZimArt's cause.
The event was the second edition of an exhibition-cum-auction event, following the first Inuit-Shona Sculpture Exchange and Exhibition staged in Harare in 2006.