The Livingstone Art Gallery would like to build an outdoor community studio space for artists. Having proper space to work is a major challenge for many artists, especially enough space to allow artists to work on a large scale, make a mess and have their creativity run wild. A studio would allow artists to come and work in nature and take advantage of the natural light and peaceful quiet of the surrounding bush. A studio space would allow artists to interact with other artists, which is useful when seeking advice and solving visual problems, but more importantly, builds a strong community. Additionally, visitors to the gallery will have the chance to meet artists and observe how they create. Such interactions foster an understanding and appreciation for the arts and may also increase the potential for the artist to make sales and generate income for their work.

A community studio space would also double as an outdoor classroom. Currently there is a lack of arts education programs in Livingstone. With studio space to work from, the gallery would be able to develop an art students league, offering classes for both adults and children of all skill levels. Professional artists will be given the opportunity to develop a curriculum for a class or workshop and offer it at the gallery studio, providing the artist an additional source of income. The gallery itself would like to host an ongoing course to help young or new artists build their portfolio to apply for schools, scholarships, competitions, residencies, and workshops. The gallery would also like to host regular critiques, allowing artists to gain new ideas and perspectives on their work while also elevating quality standards.

A simple structure would allow the gallery to offer a wide array of programming to benefit artists. We believe that a community full of strong artists boosts the creative sector and positively contributes to development and to the economy of Zambia.