Emerson Art Gallery Opened June 2022
Emerson Art Gallery & Cafe
– Opens to the Public:
(Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm)
The official VIP opening of the art exhibition was held on the 17 June 2022, at The Emerson Gallery. This spacious and newly created art gallery is housed within one of top boutique hotels in Stone Town, The Emerson on Hurumzi Hotel.
The exhibition and all the paintings are part of the Emerson Zanzibar Foundation award for visual arts.
This first exhibition is open for visitors to view, with free entry, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-6pm until 18 September 2022.
All the art work displayed in the exhibition will be available for purchase to any art lover.
‘Maisha ya Zanzibar’ (‘Zanzibar Life’).
The theme this year of the Emerson Zanzibar Foundation award for visual arts is ‘Maisha ya Zanzibar’. All the local participating artists will present their interpretation of Zanzibar’s diverse life and its heritage.
New Emerson Art Gallery in Stone Town
Celebrating Art – Art Exhibition & Artists’ Stories
Celebrating Art – Art Exhibition & Artists’ StoriesThe Art Exhibition, VIP Official opening was on 17 June 2022.
Emerson Zanzibar Foundation thanked all the artists, the Emerson Zanzibar team, judges and of course the Guest of Honour, Minister of Information, culture, youth and sports. Hon. Tabia Maulid Mwita. Also Deputy Principal Secretary Ministry of Information, Culture, youth and sports Mr. Khamis Abdallah Said who both spoke at the event.
The exhibition in the new Emerson Art Gallery & Café can be found by an entrance next to Emerson on Hurumzi Hotel in Stone Town.
Entrance is free for all visitors from 18 June 2022, Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-6pm until 18 September 2022.
All the artwork will also be available for purchase.
Celebrating Music with Live Performances
On several nights, throughout the ‘Maisha ya Zanzibar’ exhibition, live music will be performed in the Secret Garden at Emerson Spice, as well as in the Tea House Rooftop restaurant at Emerson on Hurumzi Hotel. Numerous talented Zanzibari musicians will perform live, styles varying from traditional Taarab music to original fusion. Watch our Social Media events for more details
Watch a video that captures the essence of the opening of Emerson Gallery and Art Exhibition 2022.
Guest of Honour, Minister of Information, culture, youth and sports. Hon. Tabia Maulid Mwita. Also Deputy Principal Secretary Ministry of Information, Culture, youth and sports Mr. Khamis Abdallah Said
Celebrating Local Artists
Artists join Emerson Zanzibar to inspire local creativity
Artists join Emerson Zanzibar to inspire local creativityDuring the worldwide Covid Pandemic, Emerson Zanzibar Hotels started holding art exhibitions in a different way to how they had been done previously. These were curated exhibitions, styled around a live interview with the artist. Everyone was welcomed in Emerson Zanzibar style – from the few, curious tourists to residents, to invited special guests – with fresh hibiscus juice, ginger tea, local snacks and sweets lovingly made by the hotel’s chef.
A group of artists approached Emerson Zanzibar with the request to organise an exhibition with both established and young, upcoming artists – to provide an opportunity for well established artists to share their experiences and for the young a chance to show their work publicly.
The idea grew from visual art, expanding to creativity in music, a special dinner planned to share local creativity in gastronomy and also combined with the regular Emerson Zanzibar Foundation’s award to celebrate Zanzibari film-makers.
Emerson Zanzibar is not just hotels and restaurants; since our doors opened, Emerson Zanzibar has been very closely connected to the creative sector. And so the Visual Arts awards began…’
Tangazo kwa Watayarishaji wa Filamu Zanzibar
Tuzo ya Uandishi wa Tamthilia 2025 –
Tuma Maombi Kabla ya Tarehe 15 Juni!*
Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation inayo furaha kutangaza rasmi mwisho wa kupokea miswada ya Tuzo ya Uandishi wa Tamthilia 2025, uliozinduliwa tarehe 7 Agosti 2024. Tunawaalika waandishi wa hapa Zanzibar kuwasilisha kazi zao kabla ya tarehe ya mwisho, 15 Juni 2025.
Tuzo hii inalenga kusaidia na kutambua vipaji vya uandishi wa tamthilia za televisheni vinavyoakisi utamaduni na urithi wa Zanzibar. Washindi watapata ushauri wa kitaalamu (mentorship) na msaada wa kuendeleza maandiko yao hadi kuwa majaribio ya vipindi vya awali (pilots), pamoja na fursa ya kuwasilisha kazi yao kwenye televisheni ya hapa Tanzania.
Tunatafuta maandiko yenye uhusiano na masuala ya kiutamaduni, kihistoria na kijamii ya Zanzibar.
Mwongozo wa Uwasilishaji:
Tarehe ya mwisho: 15 Juni 2025
Vigezo vya tathmini: Ubunifu, umuhimu wa kitamaduni, ujenzi wa wahusika, mtiririko wa simulizi, na ubora wa mazungumzo (dialogue).
Kaulimbiu Zinazopendekezwa:
Hadithi zinazoakisi maisha ya Zanzibar
Simulizi kutoka Pwani ya Kiswahili
Hadithi zenye tabaka nyingi kuhusu tamaduni mbalimbali za Zanzibar
Hii ni fursa adhimu kwa sauti mpya zinazoibukia katika tasnia ya ubunifu Zanzibar.
Kwa maelezo zaidi, tafadhali wasiliana nasi.
Email: foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
Phone/WhatsApp: +255 715 188 699
Website: www.emersonzanzibar.com
Instagram/Facebook: @emersonzanzibarfoundation
Tunatarajia kupokea kazi zenu!
Attention Zanzibar Filmmakers: Series Scriptwriting Award 2025 - Submissions Due by 15th June!
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) will take place from June 25th to June 29th and during the festival Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation will be awarding a film maker through the Series Scriptwriting Award.
The Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation is excited to announce the Series Scriptwriting Award 2025, officially launched on 7th August 2024. We invite local writers to submit their scripts by the deadline of 15th June 2025.
This award aims to support and recognise exceptional television scriptwriting that reflects Zanzibar’s rich culture and heritage. Winners will receive mentorship and support to develop their scripts into polished pilots and have the chance to present to a leading cable television company in Tanzania.
We are looking for submissions that resonate with the cultural, historical, and social aspects of Zanzibar.
Submission Guidelines:
- Deadline: 15th June 2025
Evaluation Criteria: Originality, cultural significance, character development, narrative structure, and dialogue quality.
Potential Themes:
- Stories reflecting life in Zanzibar
- Narratives from the Swahili Coast
- Multi-layered stories of Zanzibar’s diverse cultures
This award represents a unique opportunity for emerging voices in Zanzibar’s creative landscape.
For more information, please contact us.
Email: foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
Phone/WhatsApp: +255 715 188 699
Website: www.emersonzanzibar.com
Instagram/Facebook: @emersonzanzibarfoundation
We look forward to your submissions!
UTULIVU Art Residency: Media engagement.
As Utulivu Art Residency keeps on unfolding at APAO Village in Kigamboni Media engagement has become a norm to the Space, covering what is happening while enjoying Natural ambiance of the space from blossoming flowers to the medicinal tree species.
Along with newspapers journalists we had the honor of hosting Independent Television, ITV for their OPEN STUDIO visit.
Good conversations with Fred Halla the Founder of Urithi Arts and Susan an Artist in residence and the Winner of Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Visual Arts Award who was synerging the ambiance with her calm brush moves while blending between shades of colours.
The programme will be aired on ITV through its programme Art and Lifestyle.
Art and Lifestyle is aired every Saturday at 9.45pm
Utulivu Art Residency is organized by Urithi Arts and APAO Village in Collaboration with Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation.
📸 *Digital Illustration Workshop Highlights!* 🎨
From May 23rd to 25th, Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation, in collaboration with the Zanzibar Book Fair 2025, hosted a vibrant 3-day Digital Illustration Workshop at the American Corner Zanzibar.
Led by renowned cartoonist and children’s content creator Francis Pascal Bonda (Kaka Bonda), the workshop introduced participants to the creative world of digital drawing — from mastering illustration tools to bringing characters and stories to life.
*Participants learned:*
✨ Digital drawing software basics (Krita)
🖌️ How to sketch with basic shapes and apply clean lineart
🌈 Coloring, shading, and finding personal style
🎨 Final projects featuring unique characters and scenes
This hands-on, beginner-friendly experience welcomed aspiring young artists eager to explore illustration in a fun, supportive space — and everyone left with new skills and their own digital creations!
Huge thanks to everyone who joined, created, and celebrated creativity with us.
_Stay tuned for more workshops and creative initiatives from Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation._
#DigitalIllustration #ZanzibarBookFair2025 #ArtWorkshop #Kadogoo #KakaBonda #CreativeZanzibar #EmersonZanzibarFoundation #DigitalArt #YouthCreativity #ZanzibarArts #AmericanCornerZanzibar
All are welcome to the Launch Event
🗓️Opening Friday 2nd May 4pm - 6pm
AiR Spice – Artists in Residency
📍 Emerson Spice Hotel – Secret Garden
🖌 2nd May 2nd May – 29th June 2025
🎨 Artist-in-Residence: Khalfan Hassan (Kiloko)
Discover AiR Spice, a residency fostering Zanzibari visual arts hosted by Emerson Spice Hotel and Emerson Zanzibar Foundation. Witness Kiloko’s vibrant interpretations of Zanzibar’s culture, nature, and daily life as he creates onsite at the Secret Garden.
📩 foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
🔗 emersonzanzibar.com
📷 @emersonzanzibarfoundation | @emersonzanzibar | @kiloko_art
ℹ️ The program’s first resident, Khalfan Hassan — widely known as Kiloko — brings over three decades of experience in acrylic and mixed media painting. His work documents and interprets Zanzibar’s cultural and natural landscape with remarkable vibrancy. From the architectural heritage of Stone Town to the daily rhythms of market life, fishermen, and street scenes, Kiloko renders Zanzibar’s identity with layered texture and storytelling. His repertoire also includes wildlife and coastal landscapes, offering a holistic visual narrative of the island’s life and environment.
During his two-month residency, Kiloko works onsite at the Secret Garden of Emerson Spice, where he engages directly with hotel guests and visitors. The residency becomes not only a site of artistic production but also one of exchange—where audiences witness the creative process and the artist gains real-time feedback and interaction.
AiR Spice – Artists in Residency
📍 Emerson Spice Hotel – Secret Garden
🗓️ Opening Friday 2nd May 4pm - 6pm
🖌 2nd May 2nd May – 29th June 2025
🎨 Artist-in-Residence: Khalfan Hassan (Kiloko)
Discover AiR Spice, a residency fostering Zanzibari visual arts hosted by Emerson Spice Hotel and Emerson Zanzibar Foundation. Witness Kiloko’s vibrant interpretations of Zanzibar’s culture, nature, and daily life as he creates onsite at the Secret Garden.
📩 foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
🔗 emersonzanzibar.com
📷 @emersonzanzibarfoundation | @emersonzanzibar | @kiloko_art
ℹ️ The program’s first resident, Khalfan Hassan — widely known as Kiloko — brings over three decades of experience in acrylic and mixed media painting. His work documents and interprets Zanzibar’s cultural and natural landscape with remarkable vibrancy. From the architectural heritage of Stone Town to the daily rhythms of market life, fishermen, and street scenes, Kiloko renders Zanzibar’s identity with layered texture and storytelling. His repertoire also includes wildlife and coastal landscapes, offering a holistic visual narrative of the island’s life and environment.
During his two-month residency, Kiloko works onsite at the Secret Garden of Emerson Spice, where he engages directly with hotel guests and visitors. The residency becomes not only a site of artistic production but also one of exchange—where audiences witness the creative process and the artist gains real-time feedback and interaction.
“Outside the Lines” - Damian Msagula (1939-2005)
🖼️ A rare glimpse into the bold, spirited, and vibrant expressions that define Emerson Skeen’s Zanzibar unique Art Collection.
🗓️ Art Exhibition: 17 April – 19 June 2025
🕙 Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 6pm
📍Location: Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Art Gallery
240 Hurumzi Street, Stone Town
🎧 Catalogue & Audio Guides on each artwork for an interactive experience at the gallery or online (see link in bio).
👨🏾🎨This year’s Emerson Collection edition is a special selection of works by the late Mzee Damian Msagula, who holds a special place within the Tanzanian art community.
📧 Enquiries, please email us at
foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
👍🏼Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @emersonzanzibarfoundation
🙏 📸 by Omar @great_bazungu6
“Outside the Lines” - Damian Msagula (1939-2005)
🖼️ A rare glimpse into the bold, spirited, and vibrant expressions that define Emerson Skeen’s Zanzibar unique Art Collection.
🗓️ Art Exhibition: 17 April – 19 June 2025
🕙 Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 6pm
📍Location: Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Art Gallery
240 Hurumzi Street, Stone Town
🎧 Catalogue & Audio Guides on each artwork for an interactive experience at the gallery or online (see link in bio).
👨🏾🎨This year’s Emerson Collection edition is a special selection of works by the late Mzee Damian Msagula, who holds a special place within the Tanzanian art community.
📧 Enquiries, please email us at
foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
👍🏼Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @emersonzanzibarfoundation
🙏Thanks to Veritas Foods & Drinks for supporting the opening event - IG @veritaszanzibar FB: @qmbznz
and 📸 by Omar @great_bazungu6
“Outside the Lines” - Damian Msagula
Exhibition: 17 April 2025 to 19 June 2025
Opening hours Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 6pm
🎨We invite you to *Outside the Lines* exhibition from the Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Art Collection.
⭐️ Experience something unforgettable. Explore the artworks, with ✍️written and 🎧 audio guides for an interactive experience.
🖼️ A rare glimpse into the bold, spirited, and vibrant expressions that define Emerson Skeen’s Zanzibar unique Art Collection.
⭐️ Join us for the opening event on Thursday, 17 April 2025 at 4:00 PM till 8 PM, at the Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Gallery, located in Stone Town.
👨🏾🎨This year’s edition is a special selection of works by the late Mzee Damian Msagula, who holds a special place within the Tanzanian art community.
🗓️ Exhibition: 17 April – 19 June 2025
🕙 Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 6pm
📍Location: Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Gallery
240 Hurumzi Street, Stone Town
📧 Enquiries, please email us at
foundation@emersonzanzibar.com
👍🏼Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @emersonzanzibarfoundation
🔗 More details and catalogue on our website (see bio links).
🙏Thanks to Veritas Foods & Drinks for supporting this event - IG @veritaszanzibar FB: @qmbznz
The Dufu group going around in the neighbourhood here to celebrate the sikukuu!
In Swahili, “sikukuu” means “festival” or “holiday.
*Ausy’s Abstract Conversation*
Art Exhibition | 12th March – 10th April
📍 Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Art Gallery & Cafe | 240 Hurumzi Street
🌐 www.emersonzanzibar.com
Step into a world of artistic synergy as Mmadi Ausy & Hamza Ausy present a bold new collection of abstract paintings—where two distinct styles merge into one harmonious expression.
Renowned for their individual mastery—Hamza’s monochromatic depth and Mmadi’s fluid watercolor & ink—the brothers break new ground with dynamic acrylic compositions that explore texture, layers, and emotion.
With roots in The House of Culture Zanzibar (1990s) and a lifelong dedication to art, their influence extends beyond their canvases. As mentors at The Old Fort Zanzibar, they continue to nurture the next generation of artists.
Experience a visual dialogue on unity, creativity, and shared artistic vision.
*Join us in celebrating a journey of collaboration, endurance, and inspiration!*
#AusysAbstractConversation #ZanzibarArt #EmersonsZanzibar #AbstractArt #artexhibition
Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation Music Award - Busara Xtra
Join us for the 9th Music Award!
Live performances of the contestants for the Award
🗓️ Thursday 13 February 2025
16.00 in the band stand in Forodhani Gardens
Welcome all!
Music Award Ceremony
Saturday 15 February 2025
20.30 in the Amphitheatre in the Old Fort
Sauti za Busara music festival
….
*Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation - Tuzo ya Muziki*
Busara Xtra
Jiunge nasi kwenye Tuzo ya 9 ya Muziki ya Emerson Foundation!
Live performances ya washiriki wa Tuzo
Alhamisi 13 Februari 2025
Saa 10 jioni - Bustani za Forodhani - Band Stand
Karibuni Wote!
Sherehe ya Tuzo ya Muziki
Jumamosi 15 Februari 2025
Saa 2.30 usiku - Amphitheatre Ngome Kongwe
Tamasha la Sauti za Busara
@emersonzanzibarfoundation
@emersonzanzibar
@sautizabusara
