The National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo will on 4 October 2019 launch a fundraising campaign for gallery renovations. Located at corner Joshua Nkomo Street and Leopold Takawira Avenue, Douslin House is home to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. In terms of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe Act (25:11), Douslin House is a historic building as it is over 100 years old. Douslin House was commissioned in 1901 and is 118 years in 2019.
The primary challenge is the old age of the building which has over the years seen gallery walls develop deep cracks. The gallery roof has aged and years of patch work have given in to natural decay. A section of the fragile roof was blown off by mild winds. Owing to the leaking roof, sections of the gallery ceiling have been damaged and this has exposed the art collection to damage. The gallery’s safety as a public space and repository of the region’s visual memory has been compromised.
To redress the infrastructural challenges, the gallery has appointed Busi Ncube as International Ambassador for the fundraising campaign. Busi’s role is to lead the international resource mobilisation campaign. Local resource mobilisation is being coordinated by the Friends of the Gallery.
To draw public awareness to the campaign, Busi will perform at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on the 4th of October at 5.30pm. Entry is by cash donation. Preceding the performance will be a familiarisation tour of the gallery for media houses and other interested stakeholders.
The launch is a precursor to a more elaborate campaign that involves private sector engagement. Resources required include cement, crack filler, chipboard, ceiling board, zinc sheets, paint, asbestos sheets, timber purlins and rafters, fascia boards and fiber glass sheets.
In terms of return on investment, the NGB is committed to creating a display board to acknowledge all benefactors.
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo prides itself as the home of the visual arts and remains desirous of preserving and promoting the visual heritage of the country.
For more information on material specifications and how to donate please contact sabona@mweb.co.zw or phone 0773 017 831.