EMERGING artists in the Winelands District Municipality have been given a chance to track the footprints of some of the giants of their craft thanks to ongoing efforts by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism to promote art through job creation.
The Department of Economic Development and Tourism hopes to encourage the growth of the next generation of artists, via a series of province-wide art exhibitions over the next few weeks.
They are inviting painters and sculptors in the Western Cape to submit examples of their work for consideration as exhibits.
The project is open to everyone who complies with the requirements of the project.
After 10 July the submissions will be narrowed down to 30 to form part of the displays.
“We know that many of our up-and-coming painters and sculptors are producing work that deserves to be seen and appreciated by a wider audience than what they have perhaps been accustomed to,” said Labeeqah Schuurman, the Department’s Chief Director of Tourism, Arts and Entertainment.
“We believe that we can help them get the exposure they need.”
According to Schuurman the project will follow a similar format to the one launched in 2005, in which artists were invited to capture ‘The World of Work in the Western Cape’.
Artists depicted typical day-in-the-life scenes of survivalist enterprises, small businesses and people working in formal organisations.
The exhibitions are scheduled to be held in public spaces in Worcester, Paarl, the Golden Acre in Cape Town, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Vredendal, Vredenburg and Beaufort West.
The theme of the works of art will reflect the Department’s vision – the creation and ongoing promotion of a shared, sustainable, growing, labour-absorbing and globally-competitive economy.
“Over the past decades, our province has produced some of South Africa’s finest artists, including Dumile Feni, Tyrone Appollis, poet, painter and illustrator Peter Clarke, artist Sipho Hlati, painter and sculptor Ishmael Thyssen, among many others.
“Sure, there is a job creation aspect to what we’re doing. But I am convinced that the encouragement that we have given relative newcomers such as Thembinkosi Kohli of Paarl and Sanet Visser of Somerset West, will not only encourage emerging talents from the Winelands to follow their dreams, but also provide the spark that will eventually lead to the emergence of a new generation of great artists,” she added.
For more information, contact Viola May at 021-483-9331 or Nokulinda Dyantyi 021-483-2825.
