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7/10/1953 - Art in Southern Rhodesia by Peter Bird Martin

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS FM oreday Drve Art outhern Rhodesia Sastlea alisbury Southern Rhodesia July Mr alter S Rogers Institute Ourrent Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers Miss Rosemary Scuba young haired woman renti practiaing professional artism liver Southern Rhodesia It seeed weuld place begin effort plays country whether progressin rerigerater autoobile tractor She remarkably dlseereIng As I there three professional artists Southern Rhedesia first She painted portrait herself which hanin mantel The painted promise other artists There local trained artists comes Southern Rhodesia paint traine seewhere Miss S worked several years England eoercial artist before cning Southern Rhodesia paint wished Sven comercial strictly There large coleur agazines befilled slick illustrations SThe comnerotal consists drawing stylized cigarette advertisements tobacconists counters It I expect about artist I visit proprietor largest supply store Salisbury Mr G Rushforth Mr Rushforth largish store Speke avenue streets He sells nothin paints brushes canvas other artists He thought might after conversation Miss Sours barber It proesslonals going It amateurs Mr Rushforth statistics number amateurs patronize store He could pounds iworth business supplies That think dollars quite pounds Mr Rushforth opinion pr6fessiona artists Southern Rhodesia He sells paintings artist Mrs Joan Evans All paintings which display water colours which raned price aboutL Ii accordin He paintings display because wrapped shipment PBM exhibition Johannesburg When I ventured comment I hoped paintings better water colours readily admitted water colours merely boilers paintings exhibits That brought question exhibitions Mr Rushforth there regularly scheduled exhibition Sali October Last there about painting exhibition representin about artiste From there special exhibitions The months choose paintings Rhodes Centenary Exhibition progress Bulawayo Before there competitive exhibition choose artist paint mural steamship Rhodesia 0astle The reEularly scheduled exhibition interested Are those artists worth business I asked there others paint enter their exhibition He hastened assure there artlets number whittled committee which picks chooses I pricked The existence committee impression there organization behind scenes where Apparently someone aware forms country which Erowing other To Mr Rushforth Mr G H Stone government licensing bureau Salisbury spare secretary Rhodesian National Arts 0ouncil Mr Stone officlal looking He wears carefully trimmed moustache thinnlr somewhat spreadin somewhat under waistband faintly striped banker He Julia private office shared three clerks duete chairs placed fashioned rolltop If familiar practice government offices Arts Council government department pleasantly I asked whether council official colonial government It loose organization under government ponsorship A rarely officer government department explaining first remark He pointed We local oranizatlons Selukwe Bulawayo Umtali Gwelo course Salisbury Or function boiled essence improve interest His committee which annual emhibition Salisbury other exhibitions towns covered council The council grants promlsln young Southern Rhodesian artists payir their instruction provldin livin expenses while paintin extent ordinary employment There slight ealousy voice Art Council Northern hodesia granted which build theaters museums concert stages Southern Rhodesia grant under fmderation councils merged enefit otherls resources The Southern Rhodesian council confided Under terms Sir James MacDonald first become wealthy southern Africa aside build museum Salisbury Mr Stone there campaign progress raise additional funds construction museum If there being conducted secret other person I spoke heard The already aside Perhaps council waiting federation ahead drive largery scale Mr Stone suggested perhaps reason develop grown Southern Rhodesia outside colony elieves there potential As example pointed Centenary Exhibition planned centenary committee called outsider select artists This tside Mr Stone almost sneered chose other outsiders paint murals backdrops booths exhibits No provision provide illustrative exhibition tobacco growers however When growers asked artist ahead choose their They chose Southern Rhodesian D J Avery When completed outsider impressed commissioned Avery paint murals several other booths finally asked design paint scenery centenary pageant presentation Rhodesian history stage exhibition Rushforth suggested another reason Those qualified teach teach those teach really qualified Mrs Evans whose paintings sells raising children instruction anyone outside family In learned painting father artist police commissioner Salisbury She paint since house servants cheap Rushforth teach others One reasons I surprised European American painters there paint Even artier family could month paint heartle content And there would subjects paint Every African loves picture taken every there landscapes colour almost painted It I ignoring before white arrived When landed Livingstone Bulawayo almost first thing caught attention table airport waiting covered figures carved These repli I presume primitive African Deities prices considering their religious significance Every guaranteed native Other there native African except drawing modeling finger painting native elementary schools Some regarded For instance exhibit paintings pupils Cyr School Africans Bulawayo opened gallery Imperial Institute South Kensington England It until Au already tracted unusual amount attention fhere requests United States ezJqibition taken New York An African however after leaves native school From worker leaves anythin whittle little fgures which attract tourist trade airport waitin rooms depots All other forms loosely under Rhodesian National Arts Council Sculpture sadly lacking Mr Rushforth there usually about pieces sculpture stone annu_l exhibition Salisbury This whittling natives total sculpture Besides amateur singing groups choirs anized clubs there vocal music uropeans Their instrumental music similarly limited The African great store music As buses house which Umtali there always music The native house roups usually singing unusual harmony which pleasin It interesting music planned visit Queen other European music imported London Halle Orchestra The purely local music played tribal orchestras native villages visited party Every month there acombined vocal instrumental music concert Salisbury It features amateur sol0sts choir perhaps string quartet It month Mr Stone invited Julia guests There amateur theater groups which plays eporadically There authors playwrights poets Even curriculum proposed Rhodesian University which Queen Mother cornerstone there courses PBM The first courses English Latin History Geography French Afrikaans Nederlands Mathematics Economics Physics Chemistry Botany Zoology Even field popular music Southern Rhodesians borrow The music played local radio station purely American popular number I Like Girls Arthur Godfrey In lounge dining Meikle Hotel Whe stayed prior taking house orchestra which provide background music played American musical comedy numbers poorly It seems nearly industrial population growth Several private citizens I talked aware cultural What about though We trying living country anything about That feeling everywhere And there situation change future Sincerely Peter B Martin Received New York