Notes

Cyrene Anglican Mission, located in Bulawayo, was founded by Canon Ned Paterson in 1939 and was one of the leading centres for African art education in Zimbabwe. Edward “Ned” Paterson (1895–1974) was a pioneering art teacher in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and he is known for founding the Cyrene School. This school, which Paterson started from scratch, was the first African school in Rhodesia to have art classes, which were made mandatory for all students.

Cyrene's reputation was sufficient to attract a visit from the King George VI’s 1947 tour of southern Africa. In the wake of the ensuing publicity from the royal visit, travelling exhibitions of Cyrene student art toured South Africa, England and the United States regularly from 1949–1953.

This panel was carved in 1970 and depicts a scene from the Zimbabwean War of Independence. The figure behind is a freedom fighter carrying an AK47 type rifle and there are two young men trotting along in front of them. This carving depicts a scene from that period, a painful time in the country’s history.

Grace Zhou (2017) Missionaries' Impact on the Formation of Modern Art in Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Cyrene and Serima Art Workshops, UNISA Masters dissertation.