CREATIVE VISION: Magdalene Reddy, the new executive director of
Durban's African Art Centre, stands below Mlamuli Mkhwanzi's work,
'Cancelled'. Reddy wants to help KZN artists move with the trends
A new executive director, Magdalene Reddy, has been appointed and
design guru Yanni Vosloo, merchandise director of Mr Price Home, has
been chosen as the new chairman of the board. Both have brought fresh,
creative ideas to the organisation.
The African Art Centre provides a sustainable income for more than 1000 crafters, but Reddy wants to take this further.
"We want to strengthen the economic benefit for local KZN artists," says Reddy, "through focusing on the business aspect and helping our artists understand finances and marketing. We want to develop entrepreneurial skills.
"Secondly, we need to focus on the creative aspect. We have a strong, proudly African aesthetic, but I want to bring in the contemporary. We need to be relevant, move with the trends, move our art closer to the commercial world. We need to merge what we already have with current ideas and create a unique style of our own."
One way that Reddy plans to do this is through building partnerships; already, the centre's crafters are working with Durban University of Technology designers. Another way is with the launch of a series of monthly exhibitions. The first, which opened last Thursday, is called 20 Years Later: A Fresh Look at the Bill of Rights.
Curated by Carol Brown and opened by Justice Albie Sachs, the collection of artworks was created especially for the exhibition. The centre had an open call for artists, all of whom attended a workshop on the meaning of the Bill of Rights.
"The group demonstrated such insight into life today," says Brown, "that we decided there would be no selection process and, in the spirit of our democracy, we would give a voice to every artist who submitted.
"Some of the 44 artists on this show are veterans but the majority are young, emerging artists."
It is an interesting and varied exhibition made more remarkable for the unique space in which it is shown.
"The artworks are placed among the craft pieces," says Brown, "which also emphasises how art can have different definitions and meaning and does not always need a specific, isolated environment."
Reddy is excited about the exhibition series. "Each of the monthly exhibitions will contain a different element. For example, we will engage with other genres of arts or other arts organisations and we will link arts to different aspects of life."
It's been 56 years, she says, and the African Art Centre is still standing. "Much bigger institutions have fallen in this period. There is something intrinsically good here and we need to preserve it."
The African Art Centre provides a sustainable income for more than 1000 crafters, but Reddy wants to take this further.
"We want to strengthen the economic benefit for local KZN artists," says Reddy, "through focusing on the business aspect and helping our artists understand finances and marketing. We want to develop entrepreneurial skills.
"Secondly, we need to focus on the creative aspect. We have a strong, proudly African aesthetic, but I want to bring in the contemporary. We need to be relevant, move with the trends, move our art closer to the commercial world. We need to merge what we already have with current ideas and create a unique style of our own."
One way that Reddy plans to do this is through building partnerships; already, the centre's crafters are working with Durban University of Technology designers. Another way is with the launch of a series of monthly exhibitions. The first, which opened last Thursday, is called 20 Years Later: A Fresh Look at the Bill of Rights.
Curated by Carol Brown and opened by Justice Albie Sachs, the collection of artworks was created especially for the exhibition. The centre had an open call for artists, all of whom attended a workshop on the meaning of the Bill of Rights.
"The group demonstrated such insight into life today," says Brown, "that we decided there would be no selection process and, in the spirit of our democracy, we would give a voice to every artist who submitted.
"Some of the 44 artists on this show are veterans but the majority are young, emerging artists."
It is an interesting and varied exhibition made more remarkable for the unique space in which it is shown.
"The artworks are placed among the craft pieces," says Brown, "which also emphasises how art can have different definitions and meaning and does not always need a specific, isolated environment."
Reddy is excited about the exhibition series. "Each of the monthly exhibitions will contain a different element. For example, we will engage with other genres of arts or other arts organisations and we will link arts to different aspects of life."
It's been 56 years, she says, and the African Art Centre is still standing. "Much bigger institutions have fallen in this period. There is something intrinsically good here and we need to preserve it."
- For more information on the African Art Centre go to www.afriart.org.za
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