VISUAL ART

1997 A-4 ART

After their successful exhibition last year which was held at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ningizimu School for SMH (severely mentally handicapped) will again host the A-4 Art Workshops and Exhibition.

The motive behind the event is to bring together mainstream and mentally handicapped students, as well as other artists in the community.

Contact of this nature has proved to be a great resource in stimulating the creativity of our students and developing their artistic skills. In addition, mutual understanding is also enhanced.

The workshops will be held on May 6 for Special School students and on May 24 and August 23 for Special and mainstream students.

If you would like to be attend the work-shops or compile work throughout the year on A-4 sized paper for the exhi-bition, please contact Robin Opperman at Ningizimu School on 469-0767/8 or Paddy Meskin on 23-4932.

ICON ART

Brother Richard Maidwell, of the Redemptorist Order in Howick, will give a public demonstration and talk in Pietermaritzburg's Tatham Art Gallery on the tradition and production of religious icons.

This will take place on April 12 at 10h30 when he will use examples of his own work to demonstrate this traditional method of painting on wooden boards using wax (encaustic) or egg-yolk (tempera). Entrance is free.

LECTURE

On April 16 at 19h00 at the Tatham, Michael Carstens, music curator of the Natal Society Library, will give a lecture on the origins and development of religious icons in the temporary exhibition room of the gallery. Entrance is free, but members of the public are encouraged to bring cushions to sit on.

BAT EXHIBITIONS

Running at the BAT Centre until April 7 are two very interesting exhibitions.

In the Menzi Mchunu Gallery, three University of Durban-Westville fine arts graduates, Gaby Ngcobo, Ntski Zungu and Balwa Gelese, show a range of their work in this exhibition which is titled Implo - The Art of Life.

In the Democratic Gallery, there's Sesikhona - We Are Here which consists of paintings by BAT Centre resident artist Siphiwe Zulu and painting on fabric by Cecile Charlesworth.

DUTCH ART

The Golden Age: 17th Century Dutch Paintings in South Africa

is a selection of Dutch art from the 17th Century on loan from public collections in South Africa.

The exhibition has been put together by the Johannesburg Art Gallery under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and shows the richness of the foreign collections in the various galleries of the country.

"The Dutch art work of that time reflec-ted the social circumstances through their still lives, portraits and landscapes," says Durban Art Gallery director Carol Brown. "In the main, they were oil paintings. It was a prosperous era and this is obvious from the lushness of the still lives and also from the fabrics and trimmings of the superb garments which are depicted in the portraits."

The exhibition opens on April 2 at the Durban Art Gallery to run until May 18 with a guided tour on April 17 at 13h00.

JOSE FERREIRA

A solo exhibition by Durban sculptor Jose Ferreira will be held in the NSA Gallery's main and mezzanine space from April 6 to 24. Jose Ferreira believes that his works are extensions of his thoughts and pre-occupation with cultural and political bias which operate within a South African context.

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

The Recent Acquisitions exhibition held annually at the Technikon Natal Art Gallery comprises works purchased for the permanent collection during 1996. This year it will take place from April 22 to May 16.

The exhibits in various media (sculp-ture, painting, prints and handmade books) by local and international artists include the Human Rights Portfolio, 27 prints depicting the clauses of the South African Bill of Rights.

Tony Starkey, head of the department fine art, will open the exhibition at 18h00 on April 21.

DAG FRIENDS

The public is invited to join the Friends of the Durban Art Gallery's functions.

April get-togethers include a slide talk on the art nouveau and art deco movement titled Liberty's - the arts and crafts Collection on April 7 at 19h00 in the City Hall's floor lecture theatre by international expert Keith Baker of Philips, London. Snacks will be served. Entrance fee R25 (DAG members R20).

The AGM of the Friends of the Durban Art Gallery will be held on April 30.

Booking is essential on 300-6238.