Artwork All the Way from Africa at UU Gallery

The October UU Gallery exhibit comes all the way from Africa via the Zimbabwe Artists Project (ZAP), a nonprofit organization that grew out of student trips sponsored by Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. ZAP supports Weya women artists by buying art directly from them and selling it to people in the United States.

A gathering to celebrate the work of these artists will be held on Oct. 10, 4 – 6:30 pm. Refreshments will be served.

Weya women’s income from agriculture is unpredictable and limited. Sales of their art help women afford food, clothing, school fees, medicines, transport, seeds and fertilizer. Since the market for Weya art in Zimbabwe is extremely limited, sales in the United States are critical. ZAP’s complementary goal is to communicate with Americans about Zimbabwe’s history and culture, as well as about the artists’ lives through videos and photographs of the artists and the stories that accompany each piece of art.

Works of art in this exhibit will include appliques, board paintings, embroideries and fabric “sadza” art. Sadza is the Zimbabwean cornmeal porridge used traditionally in this painting technique as a resist.

The UU Gallery is located at 10341 Hwy. 42 in north Ephraim. Gallery hours are 1 – 3 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 11 am – 12:30 pm Sunday; and by appointment. For more information call 920.854.7559.