The National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) is a gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe, dedicated to the presentation and conservation of Zimbabwe’s contemporary art and visual heritage. The Original "National Gallery of Rhodesia" was designed and directed by Frank McEwen, a British citizen credited with bringing Shona Sculpture to the spotlight [1]. The Gallery was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on the 16th July 1957 and Queen Elizabeth II attended the sixth Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition there in October 1991 [2].
McEwen was curator of the Gallery from 1957 until his resignation in 1973. The next curator was Roy Guthrie, who founded the Chapungu Sculpture Park in 1970. In 2007, the gallery celebrated its fiftieth anniversary: its current (2011) Executive Director is Doreen Sibanda, with curator Raphael Chikukwa. The well-known Zimbabwean sculptor Dominic Benhura is a member of the Board of Trustees.
The National Gallery in Bulawayo is a branch of the NGZ in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo. It was located for some years in an old market building behind City Hall, but since 1993 has occupied Douslin House on Main Street, an elegant two-storey building of 1901.[3] Directors of the National Gallery in Bulawayo include Stephen Williams, Yvonne Vera and Addelis Sibutha.[4]
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Mutare was opened in 1999 at Kopje House. The building itself dates from 1897 and was Mutare's first hospital. It was designated a Culture House under National Museums and Monuments before becoming the gallery.[4]