Photo Paul Hodgkinson.
ZimArt owner Fran Fearnley with a sculpture by Walter Mariga called Proud Woman.
After 23 years operating a unique gallery Fran Fearnley has made the difficult decision that this year will be the last for ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery. The gallery opened in 2000 and features selected pieces from more than 50 Zimbabwean stone sculptors on a rural property overlooking Rice Lake. The venture began after a two-year stint volunteering in South Africa, when Fran was introduced to Shona stone sculpture.
Upon her return, Fran established the gallery, hosting an annual exhibition of Shona sculptures which she purchases directly from the artists during an annual tour through Zimbabwe. For the first six years, the gallery was a part-time endeavour while Fran continued to work as a journalist to keep the doors open. She then threw herself into the project and never looked back, except in amazement at what it became.
From the beginning, Fran was surprised at how easily the Canadian public related to the Shona stone pieces. She attributes that affinity in part to the similarity in how these works, much like our own Indigenous Inuit stone carvings, communicate the artists’ culture. There is something spiritual about the carving process that comes through in these pieces, both Inuit and Zimbabwean, that honour nature and family.
Photo Karen Graham.
Since 2001, the gallery has supported an Artist-in-Residence, welcoming a Zimbabwean artist to the gallery for the summer. Their work is featured in the selections on site that season, and the artist conducts carving workshops, demonstrations and talks where they sharing their experiences with visitors, becoming a cultural ambassador for their artist community and their nation. For many of these young artists, this experience is transformative, instilling a poise and confidence that enables them to take their careers to a new level. For Fran, these evolutions have been one of the most rewarding aspects of the entire venture.
The gallery has enjoyed broad local support from organizations and businesses from the original Millbrook Gallery which hosted her first show, to the 4th Line Theatre, Millbrook Mercantile and the Pastry Peddler who have encouraged their customers to visit the gallery.
So what’s next? A move to the Yucatan in Mexico is in Fran’s future. She sees a parallel between the Yucatan culture and the Zimbabwean culture that she has come to know and love. The fresh start will provide lots of opportunities to learn, which is extremely appealing to Fran as she embraces retirement.
It might not be all play, however. Fran is contemplating the idea of combining her journalism skills with her art gallery experience to write a book about Zimbabwean Shona sculpture. It would allow her to continue to promote the art, artists and culture she has grown to love.
Don’t miss your last opportunity to visit this unique sculpture park. To learn more, visit www.zimart.ca. KG
