Heritage Day Celebrations at Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Name: Heritage Day Celebrations at Oliewenhuis Art Museum
Start: 2024-09-24T10:00:00+02:00
Location: 16 Harry Smith Street, 9301 Bloemfontein, South Africa

Schedule

Tue Sep 24 2024 at 10:00 am

UTC+02:00

Location

16 Harry Smith Street, 9301 Bloemfontein, South Africa | Bloemfontein, FS

Heritage Day Celebrations at Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Tuesday, 24 September 2024: Celebrating the cultural richness and diversity of our nation.
This Heritage month the National Museum is not only celebrating the cultural richness and diversity of our nation, but also celebrates and recognises the invaluable role of museums, galleries and heritage sites in the preservation and promotion of our heritage and their contribution to the economy, education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.
So gather your loved ones on Heritage Day, 24 September 2024 and join us in relaxing and unwinding together in Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s serene settings, on this special day from 10:00 until 15:00. Prepare a delightful picnic, and soak up the sun in the front garden, before or after appreciating the diverse art exhibitions on show. A DJ will provide a variety of background music and there will be a few stalls selling food, snacks and refreshments. Take a leisurely stroll through the Sculpture Park or the walking trails. For the little ones, there's the unique African Carousel, offering rides for just R5 each, ensuring that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable experience. All attending is encouraged to wear heritage related and proudly South African attire.
Wander through and enjoy the exhibitions on show in the Main Building and the Reservoir, where each exhibition is curated to captivate your imagination, challenge your perceptions, and inspire your creativity. As you explore these thoughtfully curated spaces, you'll encounter a diverse array of artistic expressions and innovative concepts that invite you to engage deeply with the works on display. Each corner reveals new surprises, encouraging you to reflect on the themes presented and sparking a sense of wonder that lingers long after your visit.
The exhibitions on show are:
35th Annual Sophia Gray Memorial Exhibition
Sophia Gray (1814 –1871) was the first woman to practise architecture in South Africa and one of the earliest women in the world to do so. As a tribute to her achievements, the University of the Free State instituted the annual Sophia Gray Memorial Lecture and Exhibition in 1989 to recognise the contributions of a practising architect. This year’s lecture and exhibition, In the Making of Meaningful Things is presented by André Eksteen and Braam de Villiers founders of Earthworld Architects.
Earthworld Architects & Interiors was established in 2000 and aims to push the boundaries of creativity while also maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. Designing for commercial, institutional and residential projects, a core philosophy of the practice is to seek opportunities to use the process of design and construction as a catalyst for positive change in South Africa.
INTERCONNECTIONS: A solo exhibition by Majak Bredell
This multifaceted solo-exhibition by Majak Bredell comprises numerous artworks with vibrant compositions, and the various combinations of figures, animals, plants, insects in imaginative landscapes, create an intriguing and enjoyable viewers’ experience. These artworks are well thought through and speak of deep and prolonged contemplation of the concepts that she works with.
Majak explains: ‘INTERCONNECTIONS consists of two parts: DIALOGUES & ANALOGIES and LEVELS & LAYERS. Several thought processes went into creating this body of work. They include our relationship to deity/worship and the history of the nude body in art. Most of us were socialized to look upward to find the sacred in an invisible realm. I reverse this notion by returning the gaze earthward, towards the sacred body of the Earth. I differentiate between the energies of earth’s deep finite “what-is-ness” and the high infinite energy of sky and cosmos, a realm that served for the imagined energies we projected onto the Heavens.’
30 Years of Democracy: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Freedom
This exhibition was inspired by the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections that took place on 27 April 1994. Visitors have the opportunity to explore and enjoy the richness of South African art, and gain some insight into the post-1994 transformative era. Artworks were mindfully selected from artworks acquired, through donation or purchase, over the last 30 years for Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection. The exhibition includes well known South African artists like Paul Emmanuel, Noria Mabasa, Amita Makan and Cedric Nunn. The selection of artworks aims to encourage dialogue and reflection on both the progress made over our democratic journey so far, as well as addressing current issues and challenges.
Parking fee: R10 per vehicle. Cash only.
African Carousel rides: R5 per ride per child. Cash only.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein. For any enquiries or more information please contact Oliewenhuis Art Museum at 078 968 4300 or [email protected]. Oliewenhuis Art Museum is a satellite of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.