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South African National Gallery |  |
| bonani 1st quarter 1998  | Current Exhibitions & Special Events Natale Labia Museum Friends of the National Gallery |
As the year comes to an end, and we prepare for the new, we have an opportunity of reflecting on the highlights and challenges. When I wrote about the critical shortage of funds for art and culture in South Africa in the previous issue of bonani, I steered clear of the actual situation at the SANG. It is no secret that this institution has never, in its entire history, received adequate funding - the papers delivered and the articles published by directors and staff over the decades bear witness to how the national art museum has fallen behind other institutions in South Africa, not to mention those abroad, in every respect. One of the most affected areas is that of acquisitions.
In the last seventeen years important shifts have taken place in our Acquisitions Policy. The reasons for this are examined in the catalogue of the exhibition Contemporary South African Art 1985 - 1995 from the South African National Gallery Permanent Collection, and on the internet at http://www.gem.co.za/sang/SA_art/index.html. In 1980 Raymund van Niekerk bemoaned the fact that it was no longer possible to make significant additions to the modern Western or the older European collections. Today we are frequently unable to acquire major works by young South African artists. The acquisitions budget has remained static - at R200 000,00 - since 1984, when a major purchase would amount to R12 000,00; today this can range from R50 000,00 to R120 000,00. The situation has become critical, for a collection stagnates if it is not added to in a strategic and consistent manner; as it is we often lose important historical and contemporary works because we cannot compete with private and corporate collectors. Acquiring objects is, however, not only about the institution and its collection; it is also about sustaining viable art practice through the purchase of art works. If we do not buy the work of South African artists, their livelihood is reduced and threatened, and our society offers no safety net.
 | Asante geometric goldweights from Ghana, bronze, c. 15-19th century. SANG Permanent Collection. |
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Money generated by the donations box, the car park and functions goes towards acquisitions, and it is incumbent upon the Director and staff to find creative solutions to augment the budget. We recently called a special and urgent meeting to discuss short and long term plans to raise money for acquisitions. The Friends of the SANG have always assisted with acquisitions, and will join us in the campaign. We urge you to respond positively and generously to our appeals.
While being acutely aware of circumstances and conditions that present continuous challenges, we are extremely grateful for what we have received this year. With regard to the permanent collection, I wish to thank the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and the Gerard Sekoto Foundation for the gift of the collection of works by Sekoto that has been repatriated and is now held in trust by the SANG. The small exhibition curated for Heritage Day was only the beginning of the process of revealing this extraordinary study collection. Work will begin soon on a lenghty process of documentation, research and restoration.
The 'Pierre Guerre Collection of African Art' was closed on 9 October by the Foreign Minister of the Republic of France, Hubert Vedrine. It had been seen by 18 085 visitors and 1 415 pupils who attended 35 school tours. The exhibition came to the SANG courtesy of AFAA (Association Française d'Action artistique) and IFAS (French Institute of South Africa), and with the kind permission of the Musée d'arts africains, océaniens, amérindiens of Marseille and the Vidal-Naquet family. It set new standards in design and museological practice, enabling us to show African art in all its beauty and power, and exposing staff to contact with international professionals.
I am delighted to report that Denis Skeate, Managing Director of Sappi Waste Paper, has agreed to sponsor bonani for another year. This partnership in publication is further enhanced by the catalogue accompanying 'PhotoSynthesis' and the Mail & Guardian calendar for 1997, which contains images from this groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary South African photography.
The annual fundraising fashion show, organised by Elsie Menasce of La Boutique Yvelle and a devoted committee, was again an unqualified success, with funds raised going towards acquisitions. We are enormously grateful for a donation from the International Peace Academy, based in New York, which made a reprint of our brochure possible, and acknowledge the unstinting support that we receive from McCann Erickson, the Scan Shop and Global Electronic Media. The Volunteer Guides presented the SANG with a beautifully crafted bench. We thank the Guides for their invaluable support and Margie Sedgwick, in particular, for her tireless efforts to improve the quality of the seating in the Gallery.
There were highlights in our collaborative projects such as the District Six Sculpture Festival which was held on Heritage Day. The space, empty for fifteen years in response to the anguish and suffering of a community, was revitalised by artists and re-marked as a heritage site and a place to which people will return. When redevelopment commences, and the bulldozers prepare the land, the remaining art works will be flattened, as were the homes that once stood there.
The partnership between the SANG and the CDP (The Curriculum Development Project for Arts Education) bore beautiful fruit at the graduation celebration for the teachers who completed the Inservice Art Education Teacher Training Course, jointly offered by SANG and the CDP during 1997. Maryla Bialobrzeska (Course Co-ordinator), Vivienne Carelse (WCED Principal Subject Advisor - Art) and Charlotte Schaer (CDP Trust Director) all acknowledged the leading role played by the SANG Education Department in addressing the legacy of apartheid and providing relevant and exciting exposure to making and teaching art. Previously the arts were marginalised or biased for ideological reasons; now they are suppressed for economic reasons. They are, however, part of the new curriculum and we have to ensure that creative education is provided to all our children. This requires unwavering commitment at a time when the teaching profession is in crisis and government and individuals need to be constantly reminded of their responsibility.
Wishing our bonani readers the best of everything for 1998.
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Marilyn Martin received the 1997 Person of the Year Award from WOLA NANI: In recognition of her commitment and immeasurable support to Wola Nani and the community of people living with AIDS. Her unstinting efforts have contributed greatly towards the empowerment of many persons living with HIV and AIDS. A valued participant in this country's new struggle. |
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