Art Museum: Home

Current Exhibitions

View Friends 50th Celebration Exhibition Friends 50th Celebration Exhibition
01 November 2025 TO 28 February 2026


PASSION, PATRONAGE & THE PUBLIC: 1975 - 2025

AN EXHIBITION CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS OF THE FRIENDS’ SUPPORT OF ARTWORK ACQUISITION FOR THE ART MUSEUM COLLECTION



To celebrate 50 years of supporting the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, the Friends of the Art Museum are hosting a jubilee exhibition entitled 'Passion, Patronage and the Public: 1975–2025.


The exhibition launches on Saturday 1 November at 10:30am for 11:00am at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum at 1 Park Drive, Central. 


 

The exhibition reflects the important role that the Friends of the Art Museum have played in supporting the acquisition of artworks for the permanent collection of the Art Museum.

 

In 1975, the Friends of the Art Museum (formerly the King George VI Association) was founded by like-minded members of the art community who recognised that the Art Museum needed additional funding to ensure the growth of the permanent collection.  



Highlights of the artworks that the Friends has donated to the Art Museum will be on display. 







Walkabouts and special events will be arranged in conjunction with the Friends exhibition.

Watch this space!!
View #UMBHACO Exhibition #UMBHACO Exhibition
24 September 2025 TO 30 May 2026

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum presents #UMBHACO in partnership with aBantu Development Agency's project, Ingqungquthela (The Conference). 

The aBantu Development Agency brought together a group of nine creatives from East London, Gqeberha and Komani in the Eastern Cape. 

In this recent project, the aBantu Development Agency continued their aim to support the preservation of Amaxhosa beadwork and culture while pushing boundaries and initiating projects for young creatives to express contemporary indigenous culture in new innovative ideas.  The groups were led by young Designers working with two beadwork practitioners each.  

The creative collaborative teams were challenged to make new contemporay products that utilized traditional beadwork as a point of departure for new contemporary fashion and design. At its heart, Ingqungquthela, a project uniting young creatives and beadwork practitioners to reimagine indigenous fashion and design. 


Over the past 40 years, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum has invested in traditional beadwork as an important artform of the Eastern Cape.  The Art Museum's beadwork collection now boasts over 2000 unique pieces representing the various styles and traditions from across the Eastern Cape. 

In recent years, the Art Museum, has collaborated with the Red Location Art Gallery on a project to promote Master Beaders in Nelson Mandela Bay. Contemporary pieces from these projects were purchased to reflect the development of traditional fashion on contemporary design.  

The Art Museum's collection includes a selection of works of MaXhosa by Laduma which is a luxury clothing label founded by Laduma Ngxokolo. Laduma visited the collection of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum during the development of his knitwear. Some of his works will be on display in the exhibition.


The Art Museum's collection also includes beadwork that the NPO, The Friends of the Art Museum has donated to the Art Museum. A few of these works will also be on display in this exhibition.

A selection of traditional beadwork, contemporary pieces and Maxhosa works that the Art Museum has purchased will be on show. 


Beadwork and textiles from the Art Museum's permanent collection will be on display alongside the young creatives designs.
View Children's Visual Art workshops Children's Visual Art workshops
05 January 2026 TO 24 January 2026

School Holiday Workshops
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum is excited to announce its School Holiday programme, offering a fun and creative experience for children.
Join us for a series of interactive workshops, where kids can unleash their imagination and creativity. 

Dates:
7 January 2026: Painting Portrait – Family Portrait/Friend/Self-portrait 
8 January 2026: Painting – Be inspired by a master’s work
9 January 2026: Paper Mâché – 3D Animals

School holiday workshop Information:
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Age group: 7-15 years old
Cost: R30 cash per workshop per child
Booking is essential, as space is limited. 
To reserve your child's seat, please call or WhatsApp us on 079 4900 690 or email: artmuseum@mandelametro.gov.za. 
No parents are allowed in the workshop area. 
A child may book a maximum of 4 workshops.
All materials will be provided.
Please bring along an apron or old clothes and your own packed lunches.


Saturday Children’s Workshops 
On alternate Saturdays in a month, the Art Museum presents free Visual art workshops.  

Dates:
 10 January 2026 &  24 January 2026
7 February  2026 & 21 February  2026

Saturday workshop information:
The workshops are for Children between the ages of 7 and 14 years old. 
The workshop runs from 10:00 until 12:00. 
Booking is essential, as space is limited. 
To reserve your child's seat, please call or WhatsApp us on 079 4900 690 or email: artmuseum@mandelametro.gov.za. 
No parents are allowed in the workshop area. 
All materials will be provided.
Please bring along an apron or old clothes and your own packed lunches.
View Behind-the-scenes Tours Behind-the-scenes Tours
05 January 2026 TO 31 March 2026

We’re delighted to host walkabouts of our exhibitions on show, as well as behind-the-scenes tours of the Art Museum’s permanent collection. 

Please call 041 506 2000 or whatsapp us on 079 4900 690 to book a guided tour or a behind-the-scenes tour on weekdays between the times of 10am and 3pm. 

Booking is essential so please do contact us to ensure a presenter or guide is available. 

You may also email artmuseum@mandelametro.gov.za. 

Contact Details

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum

Address:
1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth, 6001, South Africa
Telephone:
+27 (0)41 506 2000 / Fax: +27 (0)41 586 3234
E-mail:
artmuseum@mandelametro.gov.za
Please address all correspondence to the Director.

Please "like our facebook page", Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum.
Book a WorkshopBook a TourComment on your visitEnquiriesNews Facebook Copyright © 2026 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum