VISUAL ART
AIR YOUR VIEWS
Carol Brown, newly-appointed director of the Durban Art Gallery, has called a public meeting on July 27 from 14h00
to 16h30 in the Gallery to be chaired by well-known artist Andrew Verster.
"The Gallery has been in existence for over 100 years," explains Carol, "but like everything else in our dynamic
country, change is now necessary. The gallery is here for the people of KwaZulu-Natal and we want to make it a place where you
feel happy, which you can use and which is meaningful to everyone. We therefore invite interested people to attend a meeting where
you can air your views on the direction which you think the gallery should follow in the future.
"We would like to know what we can offer you, what kind of works and activities you would like to see in the
gallery, how we can expand the school syllabus and make the gallery an exciting and worthwhile place to visit."
P.S. As both Durban Arts and the Durban Art Gallery are holding a similar event on the same day at the same
time, here are two chances to REALLY air your views!
A4 ART
Ningizimu School's A4 Art Exhibition will be held in the foyer of the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre
from October 11 to 17. Ningizimu School (the severely mentally handicapped) will host the A4 Art Exhi-bition to
bring together mainstream and mentally handicapped school students as well as other artists in the community.
Works for the A4 Art Exhibition can be in any medium, but must be on A4 sheets and either
mounted on card or framed for hanging. Works should be delivered to Ningizimu School by September 13.
It is hoped that the exhibition will become an annual event and not only promote art and artists, but also create a
better understanding of the plight of the mentally handicapped.
Details from Mrs Constance Ngubane or Robin Opperman on 469-0767/8.
FIBRE ART
An exhibition of fibre art from the Durban Art Gallery's permanent collection will coincide with the Seasons
1996 Quilt Festival during July.
It'll be a case of `upstairs and down-stairs' as the quilt festival exhibition will be held downstairs in the City Hall
while the gallery is on the second floor.
WRITE & DRAW
Two well-known artists/teachers, Paulette Dubayle-Barker and Felicity Keats, have combined their talents and similar
teaching methods to create something new in the way of workshops.
The result is described as "a right side of the brain experience", their aim being "to encourage and release the
freedom to create".
These short, intensive but well-structured courses will take the form of a marathon, alternating between free writing
and drawing exercises.
POETRY
Participants will be able to read and share their poetry or short stories and discuss their art work. Two full-day
workshops for adults have been planned for July 6 and 7 and August 3 and 4. They are limited to eight people. Beginners and more
advanced artists and writers are most welcome. (Similar workshops for children are planned)
The cost is R250 pp including meals. For details contact Paulette on 29-4929 or Felicity on 44-1556.
DANCE ART
The Pascale Chandler School of Art will hold an exhibition, Dance Art, to run in conjunction with
the Playhouse Dance Company's season, Kickstart, from July 26 to August 11. The works will reflect life in the
theatre, particularly aspects of dance and movement.
All the works will be for sale and the exhibition will be held in the foyer of the Playhouse Drama theatre.
ART BY THE SEA
The open-air art exhibition Art by the Sea will be held on July 14 and 28 at the Old Pavilion Site
on the Snell Parade. Proceeds to Durban Child Welfare Society. For details contact 23-8743.
TATHAM WORKSHOPS
The Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritz-burg is holding a number of workshops during the July school holidays.
Moving into 3-D
is a movement, drama and construction workshop under Jennifer van der Linden
and Giny Dowdall from July 2 to 4 daily from 10h00 to midday. The cost is R30.
Abnormally Amazing Animals
is a clay-modelling workshop under Christine Peckham on July 5 and
6 from 10h00 to midday. The cost is R15.
Both these workshops are suitable for children aged between eight and 13.
THEME
Discover a Theme in Drawing
, a special three-part workshop, has been devised by Louise Hall to
assist senior art scholars (Stds.8-10) to develop the thematic content of their drawings. Participants must bring a current drawing
of their own on which to work. They will explore a variety of media that can be included in their portfolios. This workshop takes
place from July 9 to 11 from 10h00 to midday. The cost is R45.
Bookings are essential. Phone Kobus or Mduduzi on 0331: 42-1804.
THREE ARTISTS
Sharing gallery space at the NSA with the Basil Beattie and Vyakul exhibition (see separate story) are three artists
who work in rural isolation outside Escort in the Natal Midlands.
Bruce Atwood's finely-sculptured furni-ture teases the boundary between func-tional and non functional art,
technology and craft. Sue Dawson's paintings and drawings are intensely autobiographical and uncompromising explorations of the
human image while Joe Dawson uses the found object, the mechanical and discarded detritus of the farmlands, to recreate a new
landscape of meaning.
This exhibition runs until July 3.