The Chapunga Sculpture Park is  the first   permanent collection of Chapungu Sculpture in the United States.The park has over 80 pieces. The park is a joint venture of McWhinney Enterprises developer of the Centerra area and Roy and Marcey Guthrie owners of the Chapungu Gallery located in the Promenade Shops. The Guthrie's sculpture collection has toured all over the world. The park will officially Open on November 10, 2006. The park is a permanent display of Chapunga Sculpture but the pieces will be rotated and completely changed in a five year time span.

Chapunga Sculpture A Look Back.  The sculpture is art from the artists of Zimbabwe. Many of them are from the Shona Tribe. The sculpture was described by John Wilkenson of Newsweek Magazine as "Shona Sculpture  is perhaps the most important art form to emerge from Africa in this century".

Zimbabwe stone sculpture made it's first appearance around 1956. The sculpture art is the artists personnel interaction with the life around them. Most viewers find the art very expressive and emotional. We will have to totally agree with that assessment. In Zimbabwe that life is a transition through national independence, severe economic changes and hardships along with severe political upheavals.

Through all of this the talent and creativity of the artists has elevated the stone sculpture to new levels of popularity and a highly collectable status. These fine artists past and present have continued this art form and attracted art lovers the world over and now Zimbabwe has the nick name "The House of Stone"

When viewing these magnificent and awe inspiring sculptors you can almost hear "the voices in the stone" that the artists say guide them to the finished piece. The Zimbabwe artists have said that the spirits of their ancestors come in dreams and visions and revel themselves in images that are in the stone.

The art begins as stone from quarry's all over Zimbabwe. The artists do not use mechanical tools to shape their work. Instead theu use hand tools such as chisels, hammers punchers and cutters. They also go through a large amount of 60-800 grit sandpaper. When the designs are complete the artist polish the stone with wax to bring out the natural luster and texture of the piece.

These sculptures have been exhibited and toured all over the world since 1962. Some of the locations include the Sidney Opera House, Sidney Australia, The Royal Botanical Gardens, England and Germany's Zoological Gardens. Also the Botanic Gardens of Chicago, Denver, Missouri, Red Butte Utah and others have hosted the tour exhibits.

Roy Guthrie director and curator of the gallery and park has stated, "African art was abstract for centuries before abstract was "discovered. Many of the great European artists were greatly influenced by African art." And now the Guthrie's in cooperation with McWhinney Enterprises is bringing this vibrant, emotional filled sculpture art to the first permanent park in the United States.

Written by Dan Keating