25 January, 2013

Choma Museum Art Gallery Electronic Newsletter no1


25 January 2013

For Art Gallery inquiries contact:
Peggy Himoonde, PR Officer of the Choma Museum & Crafts Centre and responsible for the Art Gallery by e-mail: mailto:chomamuseum@gmail.com
And/or Bert Witkamp, Director of Zamfactor Ltd., by e-mail mailto:zfactor@zamtel.zm
For more Art Gallery info go to: http://chomamuseumartgallery.weebly.com

Dear friends, fellow artists & art lovers

Issue 1 of this electronic newsletter is about: 1) continued cooperation between the Choma Museum and Zamfactor Ltd. in the organisation of art exhibitions, 2) the 2013 Choma Museum Art Gallery exhibition programme, 3) the CM Art Gallery website in development and, 4) this newsletter.

1.   Continued cooperation between the Choma Museum and Zamfactor Ltd.
The cooperation between the Choma Museum and Zamfactor Ltd. (Bert and Nchimunya Witkamp's company) concerning the Art Gallery was initiated by the organisation of the 2012 X-mass Arts & Crafts exhibition is now extended by the joined organisation of two forthcoming exhibitions at the Choma Museum in 2013.
Zamfactor ltd. also set up a simple website specifically for the Choma Museum Art Gallery. Artists participating in CM Art Gallery exhibitions can feature on the site and showcase themselves and their work.
This electronic newsletter is to keep you informed about what is happening at thew Art Gallery and is published by Zamfactor Ltd. in co-operation with the Choma Museum.


2.   2013 exhibition at the Choma Museum Art Gallery
The 2012 X-mass exhibition of Arts & Crafts of the Southern Province of Zambia has been extended to the end of February 2013. Sales, though not spectacular, have certainly not been bad. Three issues emerged from this first joined exhibition. One is lack of museum staff to attend to the exhibition. The Art Gallery door much of the time was closed and visitors had to ask for the door to be opened. This has reduced the number of sales and also is contrary to normal practice. Another is fund raising (sponsorship). This needs to be timely tackled and chances of success may have improved by the promise of Internet publicity! Lastly, promotion came in late – e.g., no appearance in the Lusaka Lowdown. Also in this instance www presence is a bonus. On the positive side we can say without prejudice that the exhibition looked smart, and the objects on display were and are interesting.
The exhibition planned for March to May 2013 is about “things female” or womanhood. Peggy, the Choma Museum member of staff in charge of the Art Gallery, came up with the idea. March 8th is International Women’s Day. This exhibition especially shall feature female artists and female artisans; best by submitting work that has something female about it – whatever this might be. Male artists may also submit work, on the condition that the art clearly fits the theme of being a woman.
The exhibition planned from June to September 2013 is titled Graphic Art of Zambia. On display shall be drawings in pencil or ink, and prints (lino cuts, wood cuts, etching, monotypes, and perhaps one or two lithographs). Artists working in any of these techniques may participate. This exhibition coincides with the UN World Tourism Organisation which in August partially shall take place in Livingstone. We intend to make this a special exhibition.

Rules for all exhibitions:
a. Commission on sales for the Choma Museum is 25% of the sales price of the work of art.
b. It is cash and carry: the buyer can go with the work at the time of purchase and does not have to wait till the exhibition is over. This is because most art buyers are travellers stopping on their way between Lusaka and Livingstone.
c. Pay out to artists is once a week on Monday afternoon. 

3    Choma Museum Art Gallery website
We have opened up a simple website specifically for the Art Gallery. The address is:
The site is still under construction but by end of February should be well designed. Artists participating in CM Art Gallery exhibitions can showcase themselves and their work by this site; visitors worldwide can make inquiries about art work on offer; future events can be timely announced, and current exhibitions can be prominently promoted.  

4    This electronic newsletter
This letter is especially meant for those directly involved with Art in Zambia; artists, art lovers and art organisations. The main focus is on exhibitions. It serves to enable artists to participate in Choma Museum Art Gallery exhibitions and promote their work, and to keep art lovers informed of what is going on in this brand new HQ of the Southern Province of Zambia. This news letter is send by e-mail to interested parties and published on the Zamfactor ZamArt Blog. Once we have fast internet into place it will have its own place at the CMAG website.