MUTARE: Africans should emulate Europeans who purchase art products at competitive prices so that local artists can eke a decent living out of their work.
This was said by Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe bishop, Trevor Manhanga, during an art exhibition by Tafara Takabvirwa at Mutare Art Gallery recently.
Takabvirwa is a Creative Art and Design student at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).
The CUT student specializes on visual arts and sculptures.
“As Africans we must appreciate art like what the Europeans do. They pay the actual price for a sculpture in the gallery. As Africans we always want to knock down prices and how do you expect artists to eke a decent living. We want to buy a $10 piece for a paltry $2,” said Manhanga.
He said galleries in Europe have fixed prices for art products and locals should do the same.
“The art gallery in France doesn’t knock down prices. What you see there is what you pay,” said Manhanga.
“When you go to Pick and Pay you don’t negotiate for a price on the shelf,” he said.
He said African parents should not discourage their children from taking up art as a profession, saying “creative art is like any other profession such as nursing and medicine”.
“As parents we not push our children to be nurses and surgeons. We should appreciate that they have different gifts. We should instead encourage those who have such talents to venture into creative art,” said Manhanga.
He added: “Mutare used to have Alloy gardens with beautiful flowers were we used to go and relax during Saturdays in the afternoon but it’s now gone. Today it’s like you are in a desert somewhere in North Africa because we have failed to appreciate art.”
“These days people book places for photo shoot because some people who have an artistic mind took time to grow flowers at their home. Art can create employment for our nation,” said Manhanga.Advertisement