Letter from Lusaka, Zambia

19 March, 2008 -- We're writing to you from Lusaka, Zambia, where we are working our way north on our 2008 buying trip. Amazwi, as you know, is located in Saugatuck and focuses on contemporary art from Africa.

We started our trip in Johannesburg, a beautiful, yet crime-ridden city where many residents live behind walls protected by electric fences, barbed wire and/or shards of glass. The African artifacts we picked up in this city from around the continent are both beautiful in design and fascinating in function.

Our next stop was Harare, Zimbabwe where the country has been on a downward spiral under the despotic rule of President Mugabe. Inflation is the worst in the world. There we were billionaires, with one USD equaling 25 million Zim dollars. From dining at the Australian ambassador's home to meeting with a director of the US Center for Disease Control (AIDS has ravaged the country), we had a fascinating time. That artists continue to produce such wonderful work in such a challenging environment is a testament to the human spirit.

Here in Lusaka -- a malaria zone where mosquitos are worse than usual due to the heaviest rains in decades -- the artist community is small, tight-knit and very sophisticated. Since this is a new country for us, we were lucky to happen upon the man who just helped mount a major Zambian art exhibition at the Time-Warner Building in NYC and we're exploring the possibility of bringing a similar show to Saugatuck.

Next stop will be Arusha in Tanzania, the jumping-off point for Mount Kilimanjaro climbers and many, many safaris. Due to the social unrest that rocked Kenya (our most popular art market at Amazwi) following their disputed presidential election in late December, we reluctantly took Nairobi off our itinerary this year, but some of our best-loved Kenyan artists will be crossing the border to meet with us in Arusha. We will be staying with a local safari guide (his company has been named the world's best Eco-safari tour company in the world by Conde Nast Traveller). While he's white, he has been accepted into a Maasai tribe and we will be staying with him and his wife on the periphery of a Maasai village. We're not sure what amenities, if any, he'll be able to offer, but we couldn't pass up this incredible offer to actually live among the Maasai for a few days, and reconnect with the man who's led us on two separate safaris in Tanzania and Kenya since 2004.

Our last stop will be Kampala, Uganda, another brand-new market for us. Who knows what adventures wait for us there, but in Africa there's always something. What keeps drawing us back are the people, the land, the wildlife, and some truly beautiful art. Amazwi is the Zulu word for "voices" and we are proud to be giving voice to the scores of African artists who use their paintings and sculpture, often in dire circumstances, to make sometimes bold, sometimes political, sometimes social, yet always beautiful commentaries about the world in which they live.

We'll be celebrating our 4th Anniversary the first weekend in May, and first anniversary in our fully renovated gallery space (the former Tuck's Building) at Griffith and Culver in downtown Saugatuck. How time flies when you're having fun. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and interest in Amazwi. Or asante sana, as they say in Swahili.

Wally & Mike