If giving was not hard everyone would be doing it. I have discovered that the secret of happiness is to count your blessings especially during festivities such as this season. Everyone has a resource to give and to bless the next person. A warm smile, a please or a thank you, a gift, a meal…
Merry Christmas
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie. This Christmas we draw inspiration from the Wise Men who direct our focus on the Saviour. We set our eyes on things above, where God is. We draw closer to Jesus. May we be like the Wise…
Looking back at 2015 our Year of Rebirth
Unlike all the other years, this year we wanted to take AVAC Arts to a higher level than ever before. This year there were to be no reservations in trying to sale art. We restructured and re-branded the business. We redesigned the website and changed our company logo of 12 years as part of our…
History of Zimbabwe Shona stone sculpturing
Stone sculpturing in Zimbabwe is one of the oldest forms of artistic expression. It is also referred to as Shona stone sculpturing. This is so because one of the oldest notable forms of artworks is the stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird. The stone carving is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flag and coat…
The Creative Hand exhibition
During the month of November, Simbarashe Samukange successfully curated an exhibition of works done by him at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre. This was in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Science (Honors) Degree in Fine Arts which he is studying at the Chinhoyi University of Technology. Skills, knowledge and experience in photography,…
HIV/AIDS Vaccination trial volunteer program
A delegation from the Seke South Clinic visited the Chitungwiza Arts Centre requesting for HIV negative volunteers to participate in an HIV/AIDS vaccination trial volunteer program. The programme is sponsored by the UZ-UCSF Collaborative Research Programme MI Robicides Project. The visiting team was lead by Ms Chihota as the presenter. The program is part of…
Chitungwiza Arts Centre 2015 Annual Exhibition
Chitungwiza Arts Centre shall be hosting the annual Arts Exhibition from 26 to 31 October 2015. The official opening day Friday 30 October 2015 at 11am. Funds generated from the exhibition will go towards implementation of a number of development projects which include;
AVAC Arts moves from MDGs to SDGs
The UN Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) had a review deadline of the year 2015. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is drawn from the experiences of the 8 MDGs and as a continuation and expansion of the UN global development initiative. The 17 SDGs are more or less the same as the MDGs and basically…
Handy Andy: The perfect example on how to give an artwork a title
The reason why I write this blog is because I continuously find myself in an awkward position when I see a very beautiful artwork without a title. Coming up with a title is one of the most difficult aspects of being an artist. Stone sculpturing is an art comparable to written, sung or spoken literature…
Male circumcision program for Chitungwiza Arts Centre
A delegation from ZAZIC and Daniel C Rutz the Communication Specialist and Country Director for the United States Centre of Disease Control and Prevention Zimbabwe visited the Chitungwiza Arts Centre offering free circumcision to artists. Tendai from ZAZIC made a presentation on the benefits of male circumcision. Benefits of circumcision mentioned include: – Being circumcised…
Paypal partially reduces online trade restrictions against Zimbabwe
Until recently, Paypal the largest international online merchant finally lifted its restrictions against users in Zimbabwe. Paypal considered Zimbabwe a sanctioned country and denied access to its platform to users from Zimbabwe. The sanctions were related to the “targeted” sanctions against certain individuals in Zimbabwe which have been in force for over a decade. The…
Now you can buy securely on our website
After acquiring a Secure Site Licence for https://avacarts.com , it is now possible to buy securely on our website using debit cards like Mastercard, VISA, among many others. Now you can buy the finest artworks from Zimbabwe and Africa from the comfort of wherever you find comfort
Breaking Information and Communication Technologies trade barriers vital for the development of third world countries such as Zimbabwe
AVAC Arts for those who have been following the brand over the past decade will testify that the organisation has evolved with the times; with regards to adaptation and utilisation of web technologies. It has taken us over 10 years to finally be able to have a fully functional secure website address www.avacarts.com which should…
Cultural Differences in International Art Trade
One of the most challenging factors in international art trade are differences in culture and work ethics. In some cultures “facilitation fees” or bribes to be blunt are acceptable but in most they are unacceptable. In economics there is a theory called the Efficiency Greasing Hypothesis. This theory questions, offering the pros and cons of…
The Sculpting of a Masterpiece Part 4
Having been quiet on this progressive article for some time, I decided I should visit Isaac Choloka to see how far he has gone with sculpting the artwork I am featuring in this blog. Choloka was saying he hasn’t done anything more on the stone sculpture because he is yet to get into the mood…
Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela priceless statue.
Americk Kambiri a Zimbabwean stone sculptor who is working with AVAC Arts has reproduced a Nelson Mandela sculpture that has captured eyes of many people, mainly due to the history and background of this iconic African leader who was also a human rights activists, and philanthropist. This art piece is made from hard green opal stone…
Avoid the risks and barriers associated with International Zimbabwean art trade
Art trade is a very lucrative business with vast growth and profitability potential in foreign markets. A high investment return is guaranteed if you are going to source art right, sale to the right people, at the right place and at the right price. International trade is characteristically costlier and riskier as compared to domestic…
Become a Virtual Curator
Earn extra income and make a positive difference in your local arts community. Register today with AVAC Arts to become a Virtual Curator for Artists working in your area. All you need to do is identify artists whom you want to represent, upload their works and blog periodically. Requirements for becoming a Virtual Curator: •…
The Sculpting of a Masterpiece Part 3
Stage 3: Chiselling In Part2 of this feature, Isaac Choloka had sketched his stonework and it was difficult to see what he had sketched. After sketching the stone sculpture, Isaac Choloka uses a hammer and a chisel to scrap off the unwanted portions of the stonework. This process leaves the piece with a rough…
The Sculpting of a Masterpiece Part 2
The Sculpting of a masterpiece Part 2 This is a follow up to my first post where I am taking you through the process of sculpting a stone sculpture. In my last article Isaac Choloka, the artist whose sculpture I am featuring had acquired the raw springstone and was not yet decided on what he…