'Traude Allison Rogers (January 8, 1957 - October 2, 2014) was a loving mother and well known for her career in Zimbabwe's cultural sector with the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe. She held several posts between 1997 and 2007, including the key founding Director of the National Gallery in Mutare, Director of Mutare Museum and Regional Executive Director for National Museums and Monuments.

In the time she spent working for National Museums and Monuments (NMMZ) she established Mutare as a centre for local art in the Manicaland region and worked tirelessly at ensuring the Gallery and Museum would keep their doors open to the public. She promoted the role of women artists in Manicaland through workshops and sought to encourage an emergent generation of young artists. In 2007 she moved back to Cardiff, Wales where she began working for the IB. Several years later she was given a promotion and moved to The Hague, where she became a project manager for the Arcelor Mittal Foundation. After a year and a half long battle with ovarian cancer, she passed away in Cardiff.

Traude Allison Rogers was born in Auckland, New Zealand (January 8th, 1957) As early as three weeks old, Traude and her family emigrated to Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia, where her father, the first Director of the National Gallery in Zimbabwe, Cyril Rogers took up a position as professor of education at Salisbury University. Traude's early childhood growing up in Rhodesia was cut short when the international community sanctioned Rhodesia, requesting all UN staff to leave the country in an attempt to boycott the Smith regime, Traude’s family was left Salisbury and travelled to Zambia. Traude was known to be an eccentric and charismatic individual. Her use of West African patterns and colours in her hand made suits, her gloriously hand-made, bold, cotton, African clothes and beads were much more than a ‘dress-style’ – they were full of rich expression which characterised her love for Africa and its visual essence.

Traude's early career began in Cardiff, Wales, where she worked with the National Museums and Galleries of Wales in marketing and management. She also spent seven years as a freelance broadcaster on television in Wales, contributing to documentaries covering a wide range of environmental issues.

When Traude Rogers returned to Zimbabwe in 1997, she was appointed the Founding Regional Director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Mutare. The new national gallery was designed to house indigenous artists of Manicaland, in the Eastern Region of Zimbabwe. As founding director of the National Gallery in Mutare, Traude attracted donor funding to revamp the galleries image, planning a new grounds, with outdoor exhibitions, as well as collaborated with visual arts training experts to develop a series of workshops to empower a new generation of artists in the region. The opening of the gallery in April 1999 was significant event as Mutare, a town long regarded as a backwater in Zimbabwe, could now boast an impressive restored gallery situated at Kopje House, a historic site owned by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe.[[1]]. On the night of the opening of the gallery, Miss Rogers spoke of how the gallery was originally a hospital in 1897 and a hostel for 34 years belonging to Umtali Boys High School, until it was refurbished by the Museum Scientific and Cultural Organisation (MSCO). When Ms Rogers took over the management and running of the Gallery, The Standard Newspaper reported in their feature covering the opening that it was the supposed home of two ghosts rumoured to have been excited about the prospects of developments at the Gallery. Traude's intentions as director of the National Gallery was to reinvigorate local art in the region and increase the number of artists featured in the Gallery from Manicaland province. Particularly women. She was at the forefront of efforts to secure funding for the National Gallery, which led to a $240,000 donation by Bruce Middleton, the New Zealand High Commissioner. At the opening of the National Gallery Traude said the money would fund the training of local artists and showcase some of the best art in the region for prospective buyers.

Each workshop would train 15-20 artists for after every four months for the next 2 years. Ms Rogers believed firmly that women would benefit from the opening of the gallery's training workshops, so they may join their male counterpart artists of international repute. The main objective was to support the artists, "so they would appreciate art as a way of earning a living." ^[1].

"I am confident that in two years' time we can talk of Manicaland art and Manicaland artists as occupying a significant place on the national stage in Zimbabwe."Charles Rutanhira, chairman of the National Museums and Monuments predicted, "it (the gallery) will be the chief catalyst in the development of the arts in Manicaland."Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page)..

During her 12-months at the gallery, 10 major exhibitions were held there, including the Book Fair and the Batapata International workshop, which was Mutare's first big international event.

In July 2000 The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe appointed traude the Director of Mutare Museum and she became responsible for the entire Eastern Region of Zimbabwe. Historically important ruins, such as Ziwa Ruins, Buhera Ruins, Chipadze Ruins, Kopje House, Utopia House and the provincial heroes acre all fell under her jurisdiction. This was the first time that a white British women had been appointment the role of ensuring the safety and protection of Zimbabwe's most prized heritage sites. Her appointment as the new director was accompanied by a statement in the paper which read. "I will strive to support and develop the wide range of experience and talent of the staff. Together we should make the museum a vibrant place with changing temporary exhibitions and build strong networks with the business community and the Mutare public of all communities so that their advice, support and input can help the museum to thrive,"' ^[2]. Traude Rogers made it clear after her arrival that the museum would involve the richness of different communities in the region. After conducting surveys to find out what people wanted exhibited, Miss Rogers identified that people wanted local culture preserved and so the museum decided to introduce traditional displays that reflected this. She transformed the organisational culture during her time at NMMZ and held her promise to reinvigorate local art in the region.

After her move to the United Kingdom, Traude ascended to the role of Portfolio Manager and Project Manager for Arcelor Mittal Foundation projects in Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania and South Africa. Her role was to gain an understanding of the challenges national schools would face on the journey to becoming IB World Schools. She proved to be a highly adept problem solver using her proven negotiation and persuasion skills to create opportunities and overcome challenges whilst in this role.

Sources:

The Manica Post, May 18 2001, page 2, "Mutare Museum re-examines itself"

The Manicapost, August 4, 2000, page 2, Local, "Traude Rogers appointed Mutare Museum Director"

The Standard, 9-15 May 1999, page 4, National News "Mutare proudly opens own National Gallery"