August 31, 2005
By Tammy O'Reilly
IT MAY have only taken about two months to complete, but the sculpture that now stands at Uncle Tom's Hall in Soweto will be a lasting reminder of the input Soweto artists have made to the arts.
The three-metre high metal statue, named Open Arms, was unveiled on Tuesday, 30 August at the hall to beaming Soweto artists, their families and officials of the City of Johannesburg.
Incorporating three pole figures shielded by a semicircle, the statue represents the world and all its beauty. It is part of a bigger project called Tribute to Courage that gives exposure to Soweto's artists.
Supported by the Roads to Arts Alive, a pilot project that aims to promote untapped talent in the run up to the main Arts Alive festival, Tribute to Courage has benefited a group of 25 artists, aged between 40 and 71.
All the artists involved have made a living making and selling their artwork independently.
"I deliberately went to artists who are over 40 years old because they seem to be the ones who are shunned by art projects coming into the country," said Percy Sedumedi, the curator of the project.
"The masters of Soweto have been ignored and we want to pay tribute to these artists."
Eight of the artists painted murals at the Phefeni, Dube and Orlando East railway stations in Soweto and nine artists are exhibiting their paintings at the hall.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for artists in Soweto to get the recognition they deserve," said Belinda Hlaka, the curator and cultural officer in the City's arts and culture department.
"So many of our artists are extremely talented but are let down because they don't have the means to market their work."
Speaking at the unveiling of the statue, the director of arts, culture and heritage services in the City, Stephen Sack, said he was delighted with the success of the project and commended the artists for working peacefully as a team.
"It is not easy to work in a team, especially if you consider that all of them are artists who are full of their own ideas.
"We want to indicate that the department of arts and culture is committed to this project, as it is an excellent platform for Soweto's artists, who form a critical part of the assets base in Soweto. We hope that this centre will become a new home for Soweto artists," Sack said.
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