The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THE Wild Geese Arts Festival is without a doubt the biggest event of its kind in the country, bringing together some of the finest artistes on the land for a combined exhibition.Today arts enthusiasts head to Wild Geese Lodge in Pomona for the sixth edition of this annual fete where over 150 artistes will be showcasing their talent. From sculptures to drawings, the venue is set to come alive with glowing colours and figures, which have always blended well with the scenic surroundings.
Some of the top artistes expected to showcase their work include Charles Nkomo, Lin Barrie, David Chinyama, Tracy Manyonga, Barry Lungu and Pearl Thompson.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Society last week festival founder Lesley Johnson said they were working hard to put together an event that would surpass the previous editions.
“We know that things are a bit tough at the moment and cash is hard to come by but we are hopeful that the festival will be a success,” said Johnson.
Last year close to 200 artistes exhibited their work but the organisers have decided to regulate the number for logistical reasons.
“We have had an overwhelming response from artistes who want come and participate but unfortunately we can only accommodate 150. We realised that the large number of artistes made the venue less user friendly and a bit difficult for our visitors to navigate and really get to appreciate the artworks on display.
“There are twenty new artistes who are coming to exhibit for the first time so I am sure there are many art collectors who will be excited to come and see the work from the new players in the industry.”
The artistes will be exhibiting free of charge but they will have to part with 10 percent of their sales, for administrative costs.
“Last year we did not expected art sales to be low but we were actually surprised when we had over US$40 000 worth of art pieces being sold. Cash is hard to come by these days so we have set up a banking tent where buyers will be able to access swipe machines so we are hoping that our sales will not be hindered by the unavailability of hard cash.”
To gain entry into the venue, visitors will donate any amount they feel like with the proceeds set to benefit three charity organisations namely Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe, AWARE Trust and Kubatana Orphanage.
