July 15, 2004
By Lucille Davie
THE City is once again supporting Johannesburg's artists - this time by buying their works for its own art bank.
So far about 100 artists and their works have been selected from 3 000. And 150 artworks have been framed; they are ready for distribution and hanging in the City's offices.
The 150 works have been catalogued and are now being stored at MuseuMAfricA in Newtown.
The first two departments to have the artworks displayed on their walls are the Economic Development Unit and the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA). These two - with the City's Arts, Culture and Heritage Services - have sponsored the initial R350 000 to establish the art bank.
"The City of Johannesburg has initiated a new project intended to ensure that money is spent on artists who live and work in Johannesburg. This will ensure that the best quality art, by emerging and established artists, is acquired, properly installed and cared for," says Steven Sack, the director of Arts, Culture and Heritage Services.
The artworks will remain at MuseuMAfricA until the launch of the collection - planned to coincide with the City's Arts Alive programme, which is usually held in September every year. Some of the more fragile works have remained in the offices of the JDA.
Artshare, the agency that is overseeing the collection, is a loose association formed by Gordon Stroud (the director of the Gordart Gallery), and Mthunzi Ndimande and Nthabiseng Makhene (the directors of Artazi).
Gordart is a new gallery that opened in Melville nine months ago. Artazi is an art consultancy that markets art to emerging black companies and their executives.
Art has been acquired from the Bag Factory, the Artists' Proof Studio, Artists under the Sun and from Hillbrow street children - through an organisation called Little Artists. Some of the city's better-known artists - such as Diane Victor, Richman Buthelezi, Erica Hibbert and Johan Moolman - will be represented.
As for more funding: Stroud says he hopes that, as soon as this is seen to be a success, sponsors will deliver.
In mid-2002 the City sponsored the Joburg City Art competition: 20 works, selected from more than 140 entries received from around the country, were blown up and displayed on buildings in downtown Johannesburg.
The competition was organised by the City of Johannesburg, the Central Johannesburg Partnership, the Johannesburg Inner City Business Coalition and the JDA, with support from Business and Arts South Africa, and help from International Courier Brokers.
The artworks remained there until March 2003; some still adorn the city's buildings.
These artworks were complemented by another project in which 35 Johannesburg artists were commissioned by Cell C, the cellphone network operator, to produce works that focused on living and working in the city.
Artists were told to include a C shape and the words "for the city" in their works. Many of these can still be seen on the city's buildings.
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