GWERU - Artist Munyaradzi Hove has pointed at lack of exposure due to absence of financial support as the greatest enemy of the local arts industry.
Hove, a member of the Midlands Arts Centre, said lack of sound financial backing by authorities like the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) had impacted heavily on the careers of many artists.
“In Zimbabwe earning a living through arts has lost its meaning. There is vast talent but there are no returns for using it,” he said. He cited the recent National Arts Merits Awards (NAMA) event as a clear reflection of how the arts sector has deteriorated.
“How can artists be inspired when you give an award winner peanuts when in international competitions prizes translate into thousands of dollars?” he asked.
NAMA winners are understood to have got prize monies of about US$200.
Hove’s concerns on that competition come at a time when internationally, artists are heavily awarded for their works.
The United States’ Dave Bown Projects-2nd Semiannual competition has pumped in $7 000 while The Annual Spring Photography has weighed in with a whooping $6 500 in competitions in which on average the best artist get about $1 000.
Post published in: Arts