Derek Huggins Artists Up Keep Programme

Derek Huggins (23 July 1940 – 19 July 2021) was a gallerist based in Zimbabwe. He was born in Kent, England and migrated to Rhodesia in the 1950s where he joined the police force, attaining the rank of Detective Inspector. He opened Gallery Delta in 1975 with his wife Helen Lieros for the promotion of contemporary painting. He managed the gallery up until his death in July 2021. Huggins was the founding director of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.

When Huggins and his wife started Gallery Delta, he was concurrently the chief executive of the National Arts Foundation from 1975 to 1988, and published Arts Rhodesia and Arts Zimbabwe. Between 1994 and 2002, he published Gallery, an art magazine to which he was a frequent contributor. Since the 1990s, Gallery Delta has been in the former home of the Rhodesian landscape artist Robert Paul (1906–1980).The space has been an incubator for two generations of Zimbabwean artists that include Lovemore Kambudzi, Arthur Azevedo, Luis Meque, Hilary Kashiri, George Churu, Tapfuma Gutsa, Marjorie Wallace, Gillian Resselli, Thakor Patel, Rashid Jogee, Helen Lieros, Berry Bickle, Gerry Dixon, Richard Jack, Albert Wachi, Masimba Hwati, Victor Nyakauru, Greg Shaw, Virginia Chihota, Tafadzwa Gwetai, Cosmos Shiridzinomwa, Stephen Williams, Shepherd Mahufe, Daryl Nero, Misheck Masamvu, Kate Raath, Portia Zvavahera, and Johnson Zuze.

Derek Huggins programme is designed to take care of the well fair artists that he has been working with him for the past 40 years. Most of the artist have passed on leaving children behind. Art in Zimbabwe has no pension like other careers or countries were artists make fortunes out of their work hence when they die their families struggle. Derek Huggins during his life time has been helping artist’s children and families with support from school fees, hospital bills and general upkeep. This programme will also help struggling and upcoming artists with art raw materials.