National Gallery of Zimbabwe Receives US$500K Grant for Major Upgrades from Mellon Foundation

The Mellon Foundation has awarded the National Gallery of Zimbabwe a generous US$500,000 grant to help enhance the museum’s infrastructure. This funding will be used to refurbish various aspects of the gallery, including the installation of a new air conditioning system, fire suppression systems, and upgraded access control and security systems.

Raphael Chikukwa, the executive director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, expressed deep gratitude for the grant, which he described as a crucial step toward modernizing the gallery and bringing it up to international standards.

“This grant is a lifesaving measure after years of seeking partnerships to improve our facilities,” Chikukwa said in a statement. “We are extremely thankful to the Mellon Foundation for their generous contribution, which will help us preserve Zimbabwe’s visual arts and ensure that our permanent collection is properly maintained for future generations.”

The funding aligns with the Mellon Foundation’s mission to foster communities enriched by critical thinking and imagination. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe aims to use this grant to continue promoting, developing, and safeguarding Zimbabwe’s vibrant visual arts ecosystem.

Chikukwa emphasized that this grant would enable the gallery to enhance its reputation as a world-class institution, preserving Zimbabwe’s artistic heritage while also providing a safe, welcoming environment for art enthusiasts.