Just Zimbabwe LTD  'The House Of Stone' in  

We at Just Zimbabwe LTD. 'The House Of Stone' are proud to present to you an exhibition of Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture titled 'MUTAMBO' which means celebration.

This is the largest exhibition ever to be held in the East Coast and possibly in the entire U.S.A. containing 85 large out door stone sculptures from different artists of Zimbabwe.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden is absolutely amazing on a setting of 155 acres. There is a complete child section as well with well over 80 fountains for the children to run and play in so it makes a perfect day out for the whole family. They are also celebrating their 70 years this year and have achieved their Museum status which is only held by less then 2% of all Botanical Garden's here in the U.S.A.

“This is the birth of a great national art, capable of speaking about the whole of Creation, from personal and family to the world of spirit, soul and self. It is a thrilling adventure of contemporary art.” Arts Review, England 1990

 The journey of Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture through National Independence, economic hardship and political transition is profound. All art 'moves' to express the epoch of its time, each piece interprets the artist's personal interaction with life. This ancient medium of stone is an investment in Zimbabwe's artistic heritage and shaped by the sculptor for our appreciation.

Regardless of the criticism aimed at the commercialisation of stone sculpture, it is the individual artists talent, fostered with sensitivity that continues to emerge as this internationally acclaimed art form. The talent presented here (at Norfolk Botanical Garden) will ensure the protection and pride-of-place that Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture has enjoyed internationally for many years. These fine artists past, present, and future, through their sculpture will continue to attract the attention of future art lovers to this small nation of Zimbabwe - "the House of Stone."  

“These giant stone sculptures from Zimbabwe are the most hauntingly evocative images to come out of Africa in the past century” Alla Gill, Evening Standard (10th May 2000)

These great art works have graced many beautiful gardens and prominent buildings including museums world wide from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - South Africa, Frankfurt Palmengarten / Berlin Botannical Gardens – Germany, Royal Kew Botanical Gardens / RHS Wisley Gardens / Exbury Gardens / Saville Gardens – UK, Het Slot Zeist / Afrika Museum – Holland, Musee Rodin – France, Sydney Opera House – Australia, Museum Of Modern Art -  and now Norfolk Botanical Garden USA

Norfolk Botanical Garden History

The Idea

The idea for what would eventually become Norfolk Botanical Garden came from Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturalist, and Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager 1935-1938. Heutte had a fondness for azaleas and thought Hampton Roads had a climate uniquely suited for growing the plants. Heutte and Thompson believed that Norfolk could support an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, S.C., which even during the depression years drew thousands of tourists annually.

The city of Norfolk provided Heutte and Thompson with a seventy-five acre section of high, wooded ground and another seventy-five acres of the Little Creek Reservoir to establish a city garden.

Getting Started

On June 30, 1938, Representative Norman R. Hamilton announced a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant of $76, 278 for the Azalea Garden project.

Since most of the male labor force was at work with other projects for the city, a group of more than 200 African American women and 20 men were assigned to the Azalea Garden project.

Laboring from dawn until dusk, the labor crew cleared dense vegetation and carried the equivalent of 150 truck loads of dirt by hand to build a levee for the lake. The laborers were paid twenty-five cents an hour for their hard work.

Within less than a year, a section of underbrush had been cleared and readied for planting. By March of 1939, four thousand azaleas, two thousand rhododendrons, several thousand miscellaneous shrubs and trees and one hundred bushels of daffodils had been planted.

In August of 1939, Representative Colgate W. Darden Jr. secured an additional $138, 553 for the Azalea Garden, and the founding of the Old Dominion Horticultural Society provided volunteer labor to assist the Garden. By 1941 the Garden displayed nearly five thousand azaleas, and seventy-five landscaped acres that were encompassed by five miles of walking trails.

Making Progress

To show the city's support for the Garden, the name was changed in 1955 from Azalea Garden to Norfolk Municipal Gardens. The city also selected Norfolk Municipal Gardens as the scenic backdrop of the International Azalea Festival, and annual festival that celebrates the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On February 18, 1958, the Old Dominion Horticultural Society took over maintenance of Norfolk Municipal Gardens and changed the name to Norfolk Botanical Garden. The Norfolk Botanical Garden strived to "promote for the people of Tidewater, Virginia, a Garden that will always remain an inspiration, and lead the home gardener to greater enjoyment and accomplishment in his own yard"... and to "present rare and exotic plants in variety only exceeded by few other sections of the world" (NBG mission statement, 1958).

Changes and Additions

Various changes were made throughout the Garden over the following years, including improvements for the Azalea Festival and construction of the waterways for the popular boat rides through the Garden.

Other additions throughout the 1950's and 1960's focused on increasing the variety of collections in the Garden. A Japanese Garden, a Desert Plants Garden, a Colonial Garden and a Rose Garden, which featured All-American Rose Selection winners, were among the new gardens constructed. Other new features to the Garden included NATO Bridge, the Water Cascade, the Terrace Garden, NATO Tower and Statuary Vista, which was filled with statues from around the world. By the 1960's the Garden had 1,120 trees, 9,649 shrubs, 10,377 perennials, 8,698 ground covers, 23,830 bulbs and 17,900 annuals.

With increased attendance and public support, the Garden continued to expand. A Holly Garden was planted that received official recognition from the Holly Society of America. A Sunken Garden with a reflecting pool and a tram to take visitors on guided tours were also added. Norfolk Botanical Garden continued to grow in popularity and prestige.

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

Garden Club of Norfolk