Shona sculptures return to banks of Lake St. Louis

The shores of Lake St. Louis in Beaconsfield will once again be dotted with exotic works of art with the return of the annual African Shona sculpture exhibit.

The fourth edition of this event will see 150 sculptures from 35 Zimbabwean artists on display and for sale in Centennial Park between July 26 and Aug. 3.

Artist-in-residence Authur Manyengedzo will also be on-site, using only hand tools to create new works for visitors to see.

“His work is more abstract, perhaps more contemporary. His work has a very different resonance,” said Fran Fearnley, spokesperson and curator for ZimArt, which organizes the event in collaboration with Beaconsfield. On Friday, ZimArt also donated a sculpture to the city, which will be displayed at city hall.

According to Fearnley, the sculptures can appeal to everyone, no matter how old they are.

“This is great for people of all ages. Even young children respond to this work. It’s partly because it’s three-dimensional, it’s tactile. Also, because the work is shown outside, it makes it very accessible,” Fearnley said. “It’s a great way to introduce children to art in a way that’s less intimidating than actually going in to a conventional gallery.”

The exhibit will run from July 26 to Aug. 3. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Funds will go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation and towards three grassroots projects ZimArt is currently supporting in Zimbabwe. For more information, visit www.zimart.ca.