Celebrating Rex Mhiripiri: A Gallery Event in Honor of His Legacy

There are places that are more than the sum of what they hold. Mhiripiri Gallery is one of them. For four decades, it was the life’s work of Rex Mhiripiri, who traveled from Zimbabwe to Minnesota and built, piece by piece, one of the country’s most significant collections of Zimbabwean Shona stone sculpture. On Saturday, September 26th, we are opening the gallery for an afternoon in his honor, and you are invited.

An afternoon in Rex’s honor

The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with light food and beverages served. There is no charge to attend and no reservation required. Come when you can, stay as long as you like, and take your time with the work. Full details are on the gallery events page.

The heart of the day is simple: to gather people around the art Rex loved, the way he always did. Rex believed the gallery was a place where different worlds met through stone, where a stranger could walk in and feel something without a single word being spoken. This event is a continuation of that belief, and of his legacy.

The art he brought home

Rex spent his life championing the artists of Zimbabwe. He traveled there again and again to choose pieces by hand and to build real relationships with the sculptors whose work he carried. The result is a collection with genuine depth: Shona stone sculpture alongside original paintings, including Rex’s own vivid work, like the red elephant that anchors this event’s invitation.

To walk through the gallery is to walk through what he built and believed in. On the 26th, you can do exactly that, surrounded by others who came to feel the same pull toward the work.

You are welcome here

Whether you knew Rex, have visited the gallery over the years, or are hearing about it for the first time, this afternoon is for you. Bring someone. Meet the family. See why this collection has drawn people to Bloomington for forty years.

We hope to see you on Saturday, September 26th.

Learn more, plan your visit, and RSVP on Facebook or the event page.

Mhiripiri Gallery
9001 Penn Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota