[The Natural Arts Diary 1997 - Click for information]

Support our Sponsors:
South African Arts Diary 1997		Africa Art Gallery
Take part in the 9th International Eisteddfod of SA		Exquisite II Art Gallery
El Guappo Restaurant Theatre	The Supper Stage Restaurant Theatre	Artworks Graphic Design	Elizabeth Gordon Gallery Works by Top SA Artists
Howick Falls Craft Market November 10 09h00-15h00	Andrew Walford Christmas Exhibition 8 December	Camp's Drift Market Crafts and Flea Market	Artmates Art - Graphic - Craft - Display Materials

NEWS

OLYMPIAD ENTRIES

Schools are invited to submit entries for the 1997 Anglo-de Beers English Olympiad. The theme is Parent/Child Relationship in Shakespeare and the three highest-placed entrants will win an all- expenses paid two-week literary tour of the United Kingdom next year.

Every candidate receives a merit certificate while the top 20 pupils receive book and cash prizes varying in value from R1 000 to R175. The top 15 attend the Standard Bank National Schools' Festival in July as guests of the Grahamstown Foundation.

EXPAND

The English Olympiad provides the opportunity for Standard 8, 9 and 10 pupils to expand their love for and understanding of the English language while encouraging self-motivation and self-study. More than 4 000 pupils entered the exam in 1996.

Entries closed at the end of October but late entries will be accepted until December 3. Write to Olympiad Officer Marcelle Gould at the Grahamstown Foundation, PO Box 304, Grahamstown, 6140. Phone (0461) 2-7115 or fax (0461) 2-4457.

WALFORD NEWS

In between a sell-out exhibition in Tokyo, making and assembling a four-metre high mural designed by Andrew Verster for the new Old Mutual building in West Street and working for his Open Day in December, Andrew Walford is exhibiting in Johannesburg with Kim Sacks from November 10.

Andrew Walford's annual Christmas Open Day at his pottery studio in Shongweni is an eagerly- awaited event where the public can visit his home in the magnificent surroundings overlooking the Shongweni dam.

This year's Open Day will be held on December 8. Andrew is already making and firing pots for this fun day where collectors items, "seconds" at bargain prices, breyani, ikebana and mince pies are all part of the country experience.

He says that apart from the resident black eagle, visitors may now be lucky to glimpse the zebra, buffalo and giraffe in the Shongweni Nature Reserve.

For details telefax 769-1363.

MUSICAL KITSCH

Those attending the Friends of Music concert on November 19 will be intro-duced to musical kitsch in a Grosses Kitschfest as performed by "Doktor Smurf and the Garbage Correctors".

Presented at the University of Natal earlier this year, the programme was devised as an illustrated talk on "music of questionable taste" by David Smith, a senior lecturer in the music department.

Featuring students and friends of the music department, it aims to entertain and inform by exploring familiar as well as rare examples of the "excessive, the sentimental and the trivial in music."

COMMENTARY

The commentary raises serious questions about the dictates of taste and fashion, the social aspects of aesthetic discrimi-nation and the widespread enjoyment of vulgar, "worthless" music.

The music featured is by Bach, Gounnod, Gottschalk, Klose, Strauss and Liszt. Performers include Sarah Bonsignore and Ronel Laidlaw (soprano), David Smith and Jonathan Oshry (piano), Naomi Pearl (violin), Evelien Hagen (flute) andd Ashley Ross (clarinet).

Kitschfest '96

at the Durban Jewish Club starts at 19h45.

FUNKYSLAM FINALS

Funkyslam

, the popular battle of the bands which has been run at Funky's, has its finals on November 23 at the BAT Centre.

Andrew Walford, dwarfed by his four-metre high mural at the new Old Mutual building