National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo

The National Gallery in Bulawayo is a major art institute in Matabeleland, boasting of a magnificent building right at the centre of the City of Kings.

The refurbished Douslin House accommodates the Bulawayo Art Gallery and  houses seventeen practicing visual artists in its studios who work in various media such as prints, paintings, batiks, ceramics and mosaics.
In 1995 Stephen

Williams was appointed Director of the National Gallery in Bulawayo; a post he held until his death as the result of a road accident in July 1996. Dr Yvonne Vera, a celebrated  author and academic, took up the post. She  brought to the National Gallery in Bulawayo an enthusiasm for the promotion of all the arts through the auspices of the Gallery and a commitment to the establishment of that Gallery as a major force in the growth of the visual arts in Matabeleland and indeed Southern Africa. The current Director is Addelis Sibutha  who brings considerable experienece in arts administration to the position due to her long association with the gallery in a variety of capacities in the past.

At this Gallery the visitors get a rare opportunity to meet and see the artists at work. The Visual Artists Association of Bulawayo is also accommodated in one of the studios.The mangificantlt restored Douslin House is a natural hub in the city for the viewing of art, the screening of films and the hosting of literatuire readings and animation. The adjoining Gallery Shop and restaurant provide the ideal ambiance in which to enjoy the visual heritage of the Bulawayo and  its contribution to the overall arts scene in the country.