Current Exhibitions

#UMBHACO Exhibition
24 September 2025 TO 31 July 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. Most of the works on display are from the Art Museum's permanent collection.

Beadwork and textiles from the Art Museum's permanent collection will be on display alongside the young creatives designs.

View Art Museums 70th Anniversary celebration

Art Museums 70th Anniversary celebration
22 June 2026 TO 22 June 2027

The Art Museum celebrates its 70th anniversary on 22 June 2026, marking seven decades of cultural and artistic heritage.

To commemorate this important milestone, the museum will launch a series of exhibitions throughout the year. The first exhibition, titled "Idioms of Us”, will open in the Main Hall of the Art Museum.

Seven decades of preserving, interpreting, and sharing art with our community.

Over the years, the museum has become more than a space for exhibition; it is a place of learning, reflection, and creative exchange, where art connects people across time and experience.

As we mark this milestone, we are reminded of the enduring nature of art:

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” – Thomas Merton

This anniversary is not only a celebration of the past, but a reaffirmation of our commitment to shaping inclusive, engaging, and meaningful experiences for future generations.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the artists, staff, visitors, and community members who have contributed to this legacy.

We look forward to continuing this journey together

To complement the 70th anniversary exhibition programme, the museum will host a variety of community-focused activities, including art workshops, walkabouts, guided tours, and behind-the-scenes tours. Dates and further details for these events will be announced soon.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum has a collection of over 8000 art and craft objects and the collection is the heart of the Art Museum.

It is home to a comprehensive collection of South African art and craft and specializes in the art of the Eastern Cape Province. There are three exhibition halls that are re-hung throughout the year to accommodate our collections as well as our programme of special exhibitions.

Originally named the King George VI Art Gallery, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum was founded by the Port Elizabeth Municipality on the 22 June 1956. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum has been incorporated into the municipal structure of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

Exhibition: Idioms of us
22 June 2026 TO 31 August 2026

IDIOMS OF US celebrates the distinctive language of art and the ways artists use it to express something profound about the world around us.

This year, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum marks its 70th anniversary. As custodian of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s art collection, the Art Museum has safeguarded and expanded a remarkable archive of more than 8,000 artworks.

Among these, are pieces acquired for the Red Location Art Gallery. The works featured in this exhibition have been drawn from these permanent collections, reflecting seven decades of artistic acquisition and preservation.

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.

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