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Great Big Paintings and Some Sculptures Too
16 July 2003
- 28 September 2003
A selection of paintings, drawings and sculptures from the permanent collection by South African artists such as Robert Brooks, Derrick Erasmus, William Kentridge, Magwa Langa, Penny Siopis and Andrew Verster amongst others. |
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Salted Lines: Images from the Mouth of the Buffalo
23 September 2003
- 26 October 2003
Using the port of East London as a point of departure, Eastern Cape artists have produced a print portfolio of copperplate etchings. The exhibition is an initiative of the Buffalo City Community Art Project. |
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Changes
14 October 2003
- 15 February 2004
An exhibition featuring art from the permanent collection and newly-created works by invited local artists which celebrates the re-naming of the Art Museum and the up-coming launch of the new corporate identity.
The works selected from the permanent collection represent obvious changes such as the changing city, changing weather and changing one’s appearance. Other themes offered for contemplation are changing perceptions, changing one’s status, changing one’s mind, changing images and metamorphosis. The invited artists have produced works that are personal interpretations of the overall theme of the exhibition, "Changes". |
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Port Elizabeth Technikon Graduate Exhibition
19 November 2003
- 31 January 2004
Best works produced by Graduate Fine Art students of the Port Elizabeth Technikon Faculty of Art and Design. |
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Pemba: Painter of the People
7 February 2004
- 28 March 2004
A selection of works by George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba. Borrowed works and paintings from the permanent collection include early watercolour landscapes, township scenes, portraits and a still life. A set of 12 full colour posters tell the story of the artist’s life. |
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Artways
7 February 2004
- 31 October 2004
The pictures, ceramics and sculptures on show are narrative works reflecting South African life. Besides providing an abundance of visual delight to all visitors, the images of fantasy, of people, places and spaces and of cats and curious creatures will be utilized to free the minds and imaginations of young and old through the Artways: Roads to visual literacy programme. This project, initiated by the Art Museum, will make use of the exhibition to develop learning material and to provide teachers with ideas as to how to use visual art to improve visual literacy, language, reading and writing skills.
Original book illustrations by South African illustrators Niki Daly, Nicolaas Maritz, Piet Grobler and Alida Bothma lend support to the themes of the Artways exhibition and show different kinds of story development procedures and relationships between story and text.
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Who’s Who and What’s New?
18 March 2004
- 11 July 2004
This is the first of a series of biennial group exhibitions designed to give artists throughout the Metropole the opportunity to exhibit at the Art Museum. This year's theme has been designed to publicize new and established artists, to encourage the creation of outstanding works of art, and to promote public support for the artists of the Nelson Mandela Metropole.
Participants were invited to enter up to two original art works on the theme "Who’s who and what’s new?" The theme is intended to encompass the numerous changes that have taken place in the Nelson Mandela Metropole since it was founded in 2000, as well as the way that changes (or lack of changes) have impacted on the communities that it incorporated and the people living in those communities.
Although the Art Museum has undertaken to accommodate all artists who enter, it is anticipated that we may run out of space. In order to be accommodated participants have been asked to allocate one of their entries for exhibit at the Art Museum. Some of the overflow will be on display at the Opera House on 27 March on the occasion of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Arts and Culture Policy Symposium.
It has been some years since the Art Museum has had the opportunity to explore local talent and we are looking forward to presenting a vibrant and memorable exhibition. |
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Euphemism
4 August 2004
- 19 September 2004
Exhibition of work by Kathryn Smith, 2004 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner.
The exhibition revolves around ‘Jack in Johannesburg’ a body of work made in response to British painter Walter Sickert’s documented obsession with the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian England and works by Sickert in public collections in South Africa.
‘Jack in Johannesburg’ comprises a two-channel projection featuring footage from the eponymous performance piece produced at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2003, where Smith’s upper left arm was tattooed with the aphorism ‘ Never look for unicorns until you run out of ponies’
Girl resting, an original oil painting by Sickert from the Art Museum’s permanent collection, will be incorporated into the installation which features photo and video works. The works are based on pseudo-forensic working methods that recreate or reinvent situations and play with concepts of reality, fiction, fantasy and desire. They are innately tied to the romantic notion of the art of murder.
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Through the Looking Glass
6 October 2004
- 16 January 2005
This groundbreaking exhibition examines representations of self by South African women artists. It was curated by Prof Brenda Schmahmann, Professor and Head of Fine Arts at Rhodes University in celebration of the Centenary of Rhodes University and was launched at this year’s National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. On view are diverse and challenging examples of self-portraits by such artists as Dorothy Kay, Penny Siopis, Bonnie Ntshalintshali, Antoinette Murdoch, Kathryn Smith (this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner) and many others. |
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Women artists of the Eastern Cape
28 February 2005
- 31 March 2005
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Beadwork from the Permanent Collection
28 February 2005
- 10 April 2005
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Voice Overs: Wits writings exploring African artworks
21 March 2005
- 19 June 2005
This exhibition of exceptional pieces was chosen from the Standard Bank Collection of African Art at the University of the Witwatersrand Art Galleries and curated by Anitra Nettleton, Karel Nel, Julia Charlton and Fiona Rankin-Smith. The collection comprises art from West, Central and Southern Africa in a wide range of media and techniques from the classical to the contemporary.
Chosen by 54 specialists with strong connections to Wits, the items include Jackson Hlungwane’s Altar of God, a superb Chokwe figurative staff from Angola, Sam Nhlengethwa’s renowned commentary on the death of Steve Biko It left him cold, and rare Southern African beadwork panels dating from the 19th century.
The exhibition is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated book which will be on sale at the Art Museum shop. |
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Norman Catherine: Now and then
11 April 2005
- 5 June 2005
This considerable repertoire of images of fantasy, humour, horror, satire and pain covers approximately 35 years of the artist’s immense input. Catherine’s work evolved from delicate drawing and translucent pastel colours in his innocently ‘erotic’ early works to surrealistic and bazarre images of mutilation and torture as he became more aware of the undercurrent of torment of Apartheid South Africa. In the 1990s his work explored new areas of tension in the emerging new South Africa with the use of brilliant primary colours which seduce and entice. Primitive, Folk and Outsider art have been his points of reference and inspiration.
Walter Battiss was also an important influence when they became friends and Catherine was invited to co-create the fauna and flora of Fook Island. |
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Friends of the Art Museum: 30th Anniversary Highlights
16 April 2005
- 14 July 2005
Works from the permanent collection donated by the "Friends of the Art Museum" over the past 30 years have been selected for this special exhibition in honour of the founder members of the Friend’s Association. |
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19th Century paintings, care and conservation.
15 June 2005
- 17 July 2005
An exhibition of 19th century paintings from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s Africana and British collections.
The exhibition will be complimented by an informative visual presentation showing the art restoration tools, techniques, methods and processes used by Anthony Keogh, the Art Museum’s Conservation Officer, to restore "The old school". This19th Century oil painting by John Morgan is from the British collection and will also be on display.
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Cityscape: Images of a changing city
1 July 2005
- 22 January 2006
Cityscape showcases a broad range of images of Port Elizabeth and environs by local artists and those who have visited the city. The artworks explore the history of Port Elizabeth and surrounding area and offer more than pictorial accuracy. Through artistic interpretations, viewers are offered a variety of visual representations that are imbued with historical and social significance.
The subject matter is intimately familiar to the citizens of Port Elizabeth and is intended for the enjoyment of local residents as well as visitors to the Metropole.
The artworks are complemented by a fascinating display of historical documents and photographic images. |
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The Gilded Era: Re-vision
18 July 2005
- 15 January 2006
This exhibition brings together Victorian and Edwardian oil paintings from the Art Museum’s permanent collection with photographic images showcasing workshops run by the Art Museum’s education department over the past 12 years . The exhibition enacts the relationship that exists between the Art Museum’s historical collection and its contemporary enterprises and displays the diversity of the Art Museum’s role.
The exhibition is complimented by an informative visual presentation showing the art restoration tools, techniques, methods and processes used by the Art Museum’s Conservation Officer, to restore "The old school". This19th Century oil painting by John Morgan is from the British collection and is also on display.
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Standard Bank Young Artist: Wim Botha
31 July 2005
- 18 September 2005
Exhibition of recent works by Wim Botha, Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for 2005 comes to Port Elizabeth directly from the Grahamstown Arts Festival.
Opening function: 2 August 2005 at 17:30 |
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Zulu Ceremonial Pottery
12 October 2005
- 6 November 2005
Pottery is a specialised craft in Zulu-speaking communities in KwaZulu-Natal where women in a family are usually taught the skills by relatives and friends.
The art of making pots has been perfected in certain northern KwaZulu-Natal family homesteads and the most celebrated amongst the potters from the region are members of the Magwaza and Nala families.
Residents and visitors to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum are in for a treat as renowned potters Thembi Nala, Khulumeleni Magwaza, Shongasiphi Magwaza, Thandiwe Magwaza and Peni Gumbi set up a studio and exhibition in the Art Museum from 12 to 14 October 2005. Their beautiful wares will be on show until 6 November. |
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Patterns
12 November 2005
- 29 January 2006
Works from the Permanent Collection |
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Voices from the land
28 January 2006
- 2 April 2006
Images are powerful tools in bringing about change and in this photo essay, renowned photographer Jurgen Schadeberg captures the living and working conditions of farm workers and their families with the aim of creating a greater awareness of rural problems.
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50 Years of collecting: international collections
8 February 2006
- 7 June 2006
Highlights from the permanent collections of international graphics, British and Oriental art.
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Made in Africa
18 February 2006
- 16 July 2006
This exhibition of African art from the permanent collection which includes beadwork, township art and a selection of works from the Africana collection, deals with the question "What makes a work African?" The aim of the exhibition is to challenge perceptions and misconceptions that surround the value and appreciation of African art. |
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50 years of collecting: South African art
1 March 2006
- 7 June 2006
Highlights from the national collection reflecting 50 years of collecting with special focus on the art of the Eastern Cape. |
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NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM BIENNIAL EXHIBITION AND AWARD
22 June 2006
- 16 July 2006
This exhibition is designed to promote art within the Eastern Cape province and give artists the opportunity to exhibit their work in an art museum with a national profile. The award will take the form of a solo exhibition at the Art Museum. Works will be selected by a team of informed, active participants in the contemporary South African art scene. The five selectors, who will also select the eight finalists, are Dr Melanie Hillebrand, ceramist, art historian and Director of the Art Museum; Professor Brenda Schmahmann, art historian and head of the Department of Fine Art at Rhodes University; Churchill Madikida, artist and winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award 2006; Gabi Ngcobo, artist and curator at the South African National Gallery and Kathy Comfort-Skead, Gallery Director at the Michael Stevenson Gallery.
The exhibition opens with a special function on the 22 June 2006 when the eight finalists will be announced. |
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Cyprian Shilakoe: Revisited
29 July 2006
- 3 September 2006
A retrospective exhibition curated by the Durban Art Gallery. |
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Standard Bank Young Artist 2006: Churchill Madikida
1 August 2006
- 24 September 2006
Churchill Madikida, winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art, for 2006, uses a range of contemporary media, such as video and photography, to make strongly autobiographical art. His exhibition, “Like Father Like Son’’, will be displayed at the Museum until 24 September 2006.
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China in Context
12 August 2006
- 14 January 2007
The exhibition presents some historical background on Chinese inventions and their worth and also highlights important discoveries such as paper, porcelain and silk. It also investigates the changes that have taken place in China and their impact on its future as well as its relationship with the West. |
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A point of view
9 September 2006
- 19 November 2006
This exhibition from the Art Museum’s permanent collection looks at some of the different categories within the genre of landscape. |
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Treasures
7 October 2006
- 18 March 2007
This exhibition features exquisite examples of beadwork from the Eastern Cap. Entitled TREASURES, the exhibition emphasizes the beauty of special items selected from the Museum’s collection and displays them on their own as artworks.
The very best beadwork examples were selected from the Museum’s collection and include beautifully beaded jackets, dramatic collar cascades, beaded skirts and aprons, wire-work sticks, anklets, cloaks, a variety of decorative pins and leather tobacco and money bags. Many of the items displayed are becoming less and less frequent and the collection of examples is therefore of the utmost importance.
“We’ve curated this exhibition to reflect the artistic merit of the beadwork. It aims to blur the boundaries between beadwork as historical artifacts and beadwork as art,” says Exhibitions Curator Emma Taggart. “The amazing skill and technique required to create such elaborate patterns and striking outfits and accessories is truly astounding,’’ concludes Emma.
The exhibition runs until April 2007 in the Museum’s Arts Hall. |
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Who’s who and what’s new?
22 November 2006
- 21 January 2007
The Art Museum’s biennial unselected exhibition is a chance for the art community in the Nelson Mandela Metro to exhibit and join the Art Museum in a celebration of local talent. |
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Dis-Location / Re-Location
7 August 2007
- 9 September 2007
This exhibition by Leora Farber was produced in collaboration with the South African design team Strangelove (Carlo Gibson and Ziemek Pater) and comes to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum directly from the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
Through her work Farber, a South African-born white, second generation Jewish female of British decent, explores her relationship to and identification with South African British colonial history. Residues of British and Jewish ancestry are visually and audibly grafted together with current influences of Johannesburg, the city in which she and Strangelove work and live. Being South Africans of immigrant descent (Italian and Polish), Gibson and Pater share Farber’s experience of ‘displacement’ and need to ‘re-negotiate’ her South African identity in a Pan-African, post colonial environment. This is reflected in their designs for the particular range of clothing featured in the work which grafts together Victorian dress conventions (e.g., corsets, wide skirts), African elements (e.g., tanned cowhide) and contemporary materials (e.g., synthetic parachute fabric) to produce a hybrid style.
Farber, assisted by Strangelove, realised her concept of ‘working on the body’ by representing what happens when one uses skin as cloth or fabric to ‘stitch’ together a garment.
The exhibition will be on show until 9 September 2007. |
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Messages and meaning
16 August 2007
- 24 September 2007
This exhibition showcases, for the first time, the extensive art holdings held by the telecommunications giant, MTN. The exhibition comprises both African and South African work and has been organised in conjunction with the publication on the MTN collection.
Some of the artworks that visitors will see include rare traditional pieces, such as a traditional Yoruba beaded crown from Nigeria and an authentic linguist staff from Ghana. Other works reveal the diversity of South African art: the video work Sterioscope by acclaimed artist William Kentridge, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi's painting A bone thrower talking to the bones near Skilpadfontein, and Johan Taljaard's Mating call are some.
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Re...Vision: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University School of Music, Art and Design
19 September 2007
- 18 November 2007
This exhibition marks the beginning of an important collaboration between the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum and the newly-established Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University School of Music, Art and Design. It was jointly curated by Ethna Frankenfeld from the University and Emma Taggart from the Art Museum. The exhibition consists of works by past and present students and lecturers from the University’s faculty of Art and Design. Many of the works selected for exhibition are from the Art Museum’s permanent collection. |
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Bouquet
4 October 2007
- 25 November 2007
This exhibition, which celebrates the theme of flowers, has drawn on all aspects of the Art Museum's permanent collection. Works from the British, South African, Oriental and ceramic collections are displayed to create interesting juxtapositions and fun associations through the theme of flowers. Highlights include oil paintings by Irma Stern and Maud Sumner, Chinese ceramic vessels and a wall hanging from the Qing Dynasty and botanical prints from the Africana collection. |
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Biennial Award Winner: Brent Meistre
4 October 2007
- 25 November 2007
Sans: A stranger who came with a book in the crook of his arm, is the title of the Art Museum’s 2006 Biennial Award Winner Brent Meistre’s solo exhibition to be held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, 1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth.
Brent, who currently lectures in the Photography Department at the Rhodes University Fine Art Department, was selected as the first overall Award Winner of the 2006 Biennial out of five finalists.
Brent’s Award exhibition is the second part of a trilogy. The first part, titled Sans: Desire for a beginning/Dread of one single end, was exhibited at the Rhodes Art School in Grahamstown in 2004 and at the NSA gallery in Durban in 2005.
Brent’s work is driven by his relationship to the landscape and in particular that of the Eastern Cape. Jeanne Wright notes in the catalogue essay that Brent, "regards both his work and his identity as a photographer as a consequence of a particular landscape and his connection to it is vital to the way in which he interprets his world."
Brent uses his camera to "read" the landscape like a text, weaving what is seen with what remains hidden between lines to create an impression of the landscape as a site for history forgotten and memory lost. He does this by approaching his subject matter intuitively, creating a layered photographic image in which selected forensic detail becomes infiltrated by historical, political and personal relevance. This intuitive approach leaves the images open for interpretation allowing the viewer to become like Brent, a reader who adds their own history to the image. The open-endedness of Brent’s images strengthens his view of the landscape as a repository for history and memory. "Much of the photographs deal with associations and mnemic layers that I believe are particularly evocative of facets of the South African psyche", Brent Meistre.
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennial Exhibition and Award was launched in 2006 by the Art Museum as an initiative to promote artistic excellence in the Eastern Cape.
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Images of Mandela Bay: Inner City
30 November 2007
- 13 April 2008
The past, present and future of the inner city of Mandela Bay is currently on show at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Images of Mandela Bay: Inner City is an exhibition that celebrates the history and development of the city from a British military station to the vibrant city we know today. The artworks on show are a documentation of physical changes plus an insight, through the artists’ eyes, into the emotions and politics of the city over time. Works from the Art Museum’s historical collection, including famous works by Thomas Baines, will be on exhibition with contemporary works by local artists such as Robert Brooks and Trevor Melville. Many works by the prolific artist, Fred Page, who painted and documented the city throughout his career, will also be featured.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) will be participating in the exhibition with a display showcasing their Inner City Vision which will comprise current and future plans and projects for revitalisation and urban renewal of the inner city. This addition to the exhibition commences on 14 December 2007.
The exhibition will run until 13 April 2008. |
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Who’s who and what’s new 2007
6 December 2007
- 20 January 2008
Who’s who and what’s new on the local art scene?
Artists in Nelson Mandela Bay have responded to this question by submitting an interesting array of original works of art on no particular theme which will be on show at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum over the holiday season. The Who’s who and what’s new unselected group exhibition is run annually by the Art Museum to identify and publicise practicing visual artists and visual art groups in Nelson Mandela Bay. The exhibition aims to encourage the creation of outstanding works of art and to promote public support for local art and artists.
An exhibition opening function with artistic flair will take place on Thursday 6 December 2007 at 17:30 where well known poet and motivational speaker, Lelethu Mahambehlala, kicks off the event with a special brand of exhibition opening address. Live entertainment for the evening will be provided by the popular music duo Wise-Fools. All artists, art lovers, art supporters and other interested members of the public are invited to attend this informal celebration of the arts in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The exhibition closes on 20 January 2008. |
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About-face
2 February 2008
- 8 June 2008
What’s in a face? This exhibition of portraits answers the question with candour and humour
The theme of portraiture from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s permanent collection, focuses on the different roles that portraits play throughout history. Historical works, such as Sir Rufane Donkin, are hung alongside some very contemporary adaptations of the theme which challenge and play with established norms.
Dorothy Kay and George Pemba are just two of Mandela Bay’s celebrated portrait artists represented on the exhibition. Their self portraits can be viewed with other famous South African faces such as Matthew Goniwe, the 1995 Springbok rugby team, Mahatma Ghandi and tributes to Albertina Sisulu and Helen Joseph. The exhibition includes ceramic masks, caricatures and abstract impressions.
"This is a wonderfully diverse exhibition which brings together different historical perspectives with new work to create interesting new ways to approach the theme of portraiture"says Exhibition Curator, Emma Taggart. "There is something for everybody to enjoy and discover what it means to be immortalised through an artist’s eyes."
Tours for schools and other interest groups can be arranged by telephoning the Art Museum on 041 5861030. |
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City Treasures: Highlights of the Collection
19 April 2008
- 3 August 2008
This exhibition casts a spotlight on some of the best artworks from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s collections and features South African art, particularly that of the Eastern Cape, with some of the country’s top artists represented in an eclectic mix of artistic gems.
Walter Oltmann’s beautifully crafted aluminium and steel wire sculpture, Larva suit, offers a complimentary contrast to Hylton Nel’s newly-acquired ceramic piece, Madonna and child. A major sculptural work by Andries Botha can be viewed alongside Brent Meistre’s digital video which helped to make him the Art Museum’s first Biennial Exhibition and Award winner in 2006.
Ranging from early and mid 20th Century works by Maud Sumner, Hugo Naude and Irma Stern to contemporary conceptual pieces by Jenny Ord and Nandipho Mnthambo, from traditional Xhosa beadwork to surreal work by Fred Page, this exhibition offers viewing options for every artistic taste.
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Africa Remix - fringe touring exhibition
15 May 2008
- 1 June 2008
A parallel exhibition to the Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent exhibition comes to the city with thanks to The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Alliance Française network in South Africa.
Featuring a selection of work by eleven artists from nine African countries and comprising photographs, assemblages, design creations and video installations, this fringe touring exhibition offers a glimpse of the main exhibition to those who were not able to make a trip to Johannesburg.
The exhibition will be on show until 1 June 2008.
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Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennial Exhibition and Award
20 June 2008
- 27 July 2008
Biennial Exhibition and Award 2008 triumphs in artistic diversity and quality
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennial Exhibition and Award is designed to promote artistic excellence in the Eastern Cape and this year’s call for entries attracted artists from a diversity of artistic competencies and backgrounds. Submissions arrived from as far afield as Umtata and Middelburg and represented many different media including video, ceramics, painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and photography.
The selection process is never an easy task but the selectors decisions were unanimous when it came to selecting the best. The first round of selection was anonymous, ensuring that the selection was free and fair. Of the nineteen artists selected for the exhibition, eight were short-listed as finalists who will be expected to submit a proposal in any form to motivate why their work should be chosen for the award of a solo exhibition in 2009.
Names of the finalists will be announced at the exhibition opening function at the Art Museum on Thursday 19 June 2008. Special guest speaker will be Maureen de Jager, Sculpture Lecturer at Rhodes University’s Fine Art Department.
This realistic expression of contemporary art in the Eastern Cape is gerously co-sponsored by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. |
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Wonderland
15 August 2008
- 28 September 2008
Colourful and fun is how best to describe this installation of photographs with magical fake grass, flowers and swing. Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for 2008, Nontsikelelo (Lolo) Veleko’s exhibition of ‘art through the lens’ explores her love of the urban environment and the people in it.
"I look at fashion and how it creates identity, because fashion plays with identity" she explains. "That’s how I look at fashion in South Africa, it’s fun and it’s like play - my clothes aren’t really me, I just have style and I have fun."
The exhibition was officially opened at a function on Thursday 14 August 2008. |
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Beading
15 August 2008
- 2 October 2008
An exhibition of Southern Nguni beadwork and other items from the Art Museum’s permanent collection focusing on beading techniques. |
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Reflex
15 August 2008
- 12 October 2008
Over fifty photographers and twenty ceramists form part of a group exhibition showcasing the varied work of present and past students and staff of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University School of Music, Art and Design.
The works explore not only ‘traditional’ genres; documentary, photojournalism, portraiture, landscape, still-life photography and film, but also fine-art photography showing appropriation, staging and surrealism through the medium of digital collage.The emphasis in the ceramics displayed is a combination of both European and African influences. A broad range of techniques is evident in the work from contemporary glazes to the traditional smoke fired pieces.
Finding and contacting ex-students dispersed around the globe was a mammoth logistical exercise. The work exhibited is a testament to the many decades of education provided by the Ceramic and Photography departments and the impact they have had on the broader cultural community.
The exhibition is on show in the Arts Hall of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum. |
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Relationships
4 October 2008
- 26 November 2008
An exhibition of works which show the influences and relationships that exist between the Art Museum’s British and South African collections. The exhibition will include Victorian landscapes, works by Joan Wright and some early works by Fred Page. |
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Africa rifting/ Bloodlines
10 October 2008
- 26 November 2008
A solo exhibition by Georgia Papageorge
The artist Georgia Papageorge has traveled around the world creating art performances which deal with geographical, emotional, political and racial rifts that exist between people. Her performances utilise people in an action to symbolise a healing of these divides.
The exhibition is a culmination of eight years of performance work and comprises video, photographic and actual objects taken from five ceremonial interactions performed by the artist.
One performance that will be on exhibition took place at the Red Location museum on the 28 July 2007 in the Nelson Mandela Bay. Red banners were laid down to form a line from the train station, a historic site throughout the Struggle. It was here that the first arrest took place in 1952 during the ‘passive resistance’ campaign against the notorious pass laws, the entrance of the Red Location Museum.
In a performance which included the red location veterans, the broader red location community, staff from both the Red Location Museum and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, the banners were picked up and moved by the crowd into the Red Location Museum. The performance represented the Red Location Museum’s role as a vessel for the memories of the past and present Red Location community. During the performance the participants got to write their names on the banners which are now part of the Red Location Museum’s permanent collection
This exhibition for the first time brings all these performances into one space with the red banner acting as the unifying motif creating a link between all these different acts of reconciliation. The exhibition also brings together the communities who were involved in these performances as a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit over division.
The exhibition opening function will take place at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum on Thursday 9 October, starting at 17:30. The artist will be conducting a public walk-about of the exhibition on Friday 10 October starting at 13:00.
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Empty Vessels
18 October 2008
- 1 March 2009
An exhibition which explores the meaning of ceramic containers from the Art Museum’s permanent collection. People take vessels for granted in an everyday context but have difficulty understanding their place in an art museum. |
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Art Talk
5 February 2009
- 26 May 2009
Art Talk explores three categories of visual communication, namely, narrative, iconography and expression. Celebrated artists on display include William Kentridge, Penny Siopis and Andrew Verster. Also featured is the “Mendi” triptych by Hilary Graham which tells a story of the sinking of the troopship Mendi. |
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Construct: Beyond the documentary photograph
6 February 2009
- 5 April 2009
Exhibition of documentary photographs by top South African artists such as Roger Ballen, Berni Searle, Zwelethu Mthethwa and Lien Botha. Brent Meistre, winner of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Biennial Exhibition and Award 2006, also features on the exhibition.
South African documentary photography has moved beyond the restraints of socio-political issues. It now includes post-apartheid commentary as well as conceptually-charged constructions which explore issues such as gender, sexuality, disability and identity.
Construct: Beyond the documentary photograph was curated by Heidi Erdmann and Jacob Lebeko. All interested parties are welcome to attend the opening function at the Art Museum, 1 Park Drive, on Thursday 5 February 2009 at 17:30. Please RSVP on 041 5861030. |
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New Acquisitions
10 April 2009
- 26 May 2009
Recent acquisitions of works into the permanent collections of the Art Museum by some of South Africa’s top contemporary artists including Berni Searle, Churchill Madikida, Conrad Botes and Durant Sihlali. Local artists featured are Marc Pradervand, Christine Dixie, Brent Meistre and Maureen de Jager. |
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Scenes in the street
7 May 2009
- 19 July 2009
A playful look at street scenes through the eyes of artists including Tommy Motswai’s City scene/Township scene, George Msimang’s The bus stop and The flower sellers by Hugo Naude. Street scenes as seen through the lenses of local photographers Marc Shoul and Rob Duker, who have extensively documented life in Mandela Bay, will also be on display.
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Decade: Highlights from 10 years of collecting for the Sanlam Art Collection
4 June 2009
- 10 August 2009
A selection of works by some of South Africa's most valued and emerging artists from the Sanlam Art Collection, one of South Africa's finest collections of South African Art. With holdings of more than 2000 items, the collection provides a representative overview of South African art dating from the late nineteenth century to the present. |
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Standard Bank Young Artist 2009: Nicholas Hlobo
30 July 2009
- 20 September 2009
The 2009 Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for Visual Arts, Nicholas Hlobo, uses strategically chosen materials to "create conversations" around issues of masculinity, gender, race and ethnicity. |
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Poking fun
15 August 2009
- 25 November 2009
Works from the Art Museum’s permanent collection which explore humor, biting commentary and satire. From depictions of power, greed and lust to candy-coloured malice, this exhibition is full of dark humor and artistic insight. |
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Who’s who and what’s new on the local art scene
25 November 2009
- 3 December 2009
Are you an artist 18 years or older and resident in Nelson Mandela Bay? Are you eager to showcase and promote your art? If you answered yes to both of these questions then you are eligible to respond to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s call for artists to submit an original work of art for the annual exhibition Who’s who and what’s new?
The Art Museum hopes to attract entries from students and both amateur and established artists who wish to showcase their work and enjoy the associated publicity and exposure offered to them. There is no selection process or entry fee. Any artists may take part in this unique opportunity to promote the visual arts in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The Friends of the Art Museum will once again be offering the option of a silent auction for those wishing to sell their work.
Artists who lack the financial resources to mount and frame their works may apply to the Art Museum for assistance before 16 October 2009. Works must be delivered together with a completed entry form to the Art Museum from 25 to 27 November during normal opening hours.
For more information and entry forms telephone the Art Museum on 041 5062000 or visit the websites www.nelsonmandelabay.gov.za and www.artmuseum.co.za
Don’t be shy. You will never know unless you try!
Download the entry form. Click here.
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Animals in art
1 December 2009
- 2 May 2010
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s exhibition entitled Animals in art features a menagerie of animals and other creatures, both weird and wonderful, from the Art Museum’s permanent collections.
The works include paintings, drawings and sculptures that are grouped according to themes featuring domestic and wild animals, farm animals in pastoral settings, insects and abstract creatures and monsters of the deep.
The artists on show have looked at animals and nature for inspiration, from Hylton Nel’s humorous worm and delightfully expressive cats to Gladys Mgudlandlu’s red-beaked crows, Ardmore Studio’s animal inspired designs, Derrick Erasmus’s exaggerated chameleons and Walter Oltmann’s cockroach. |
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Who's who and what's new 2009
4 December 2009
- 24 January 2010
The Art Museum's annual Who's who and what's new? exhibition has attracted a record number of entries from local artists wishing to make the most of this unique opportunity to showcase their work and promote the visual arts in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Art lovers and members of the public are invited to come and enjoy the variety of what is currently being produced by established and emerging artists, from colourful abstract and humorous works to those depicting more serious issues.
The Friends of the Art Museum are once again be offering the option of a silent auction for those wishing to buy work at competitive prices.
The exhibition will be on show until 24 January 2010.
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A selection of 20th Century South African Art
2 February 2010
- 11 April 2010
An exhibition of works spanning the 20th Century from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s Permanent Collections.
Early 20th Century South African artists on show include some of those associated with the New Group who were influenced by avant-garde art in Europe. Famous names in this group include Maggie Loubser, Maude Sumner, Walter Battiss, Wolf Kibel and Gregoire Boonzaaier, who was one of the founding members.
Two famous family groups represented are Dorothy Kay and her daughter Joan Wright, together with Bertha Everard and her two daughters Ruth and Rosamund, who form part of the Everard group. Working as excluded artists under apartheid during the 50s and 60s were George Pemba and Gerard Bhengu.
Highlights from the late part of the 20th Century include works by William Kentridge, Helen Sibidi and Penny Siopis. Landscapes by artists Robert Brooks, Jennifer Crooks and Nigel Mullins, who were influenced by or participated in the Grahamstown Group, hang alongside conceptual landscapes by Keith Dietrich and Larry Scully.
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Insight: Photography and video from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s Permanent Collections
17 April 2010
- 16 May 2010
This exhibition represents the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum’s determination to achieve a top photographic and video collection. Highlights include video art by internationally acclaimed artists Berni Searle and Churchill Madikida as well as local Eastern Cape artist Brent Meistre. Nomusa Makhubu’s set of three photographic prints, Inquietude, will be on show with a selection from two very important portfolios which represent Nelson Mandela Bay, Rob Duker’s Red Location series and Marc Shoul’s Beyond Walmer.
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Know your city
15 May 2010
- 18 July 2010
Views of Nelson Mandela Bay from artists’ perspectives.
Showing the development of the city from a military station to vibrant commercial port, this exhibition includes works by 19th Century artist and explorer, Thomas Baines as well as contemporary works by Robert Brooks, Betsy Fordyce, Trevor Melville, George Pemba, Alexander Podlashuc and Fred Page. Along with the colourful paintings, images by local photographers Marc Shoul, Rob Duker and Tim Hopwood will be on show. This exhibition promises a bright and colorful view of Nelson Mandela Bay.
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ENDGAME -Standard Bank Young Artist 2010 - Michael MacGarry
28 July 2010
- 5 September 2010
The Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art 2010 has been awarded to Michael MacGarry. His exhibition, ENDGAME, comes to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum directly from the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
The exhibition aludes to how colonialism, globalisation and exploitation of natural resources have impacted on South Africa and the rest of Africa.
Stephen Hobbs, Visual Artist and Cultural Producer, will be visiting the city on Wednesday 28 July 2010 to open the exhibition at 17:30 for 18:00. All members of the public are invited to attend. For more information or to confirm your attendance please telephone the Art Museum on 041 5062000.
Those who did not manage to view the exhibition in Grahamstown should not miss out on this opportunity to participate in a multi-media art experience.
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