Saturday, May 16, 2009

New Acquisitions


The Chairman of the Friends of the Art Museum invites all Friends to a "friendly" cocktail function to view the latest acquisitions of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum.
1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth
Date: Friday 22 May 2009
Time: 4:30 pm - closes 6pm
For catering purposes, kindly RSVP email: friends.ART.museum@telkomsa.net (acceptances only)


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

CD -The Art of Business – The Business of Art

The Committee of the Friends of The Art Museum would like to draw your attention to a CD-Rom that is available from the Museums Shop of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, 1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth (Tel: 041 586 1030). The CD was compiled by Anthony Harris, a professional artist, to assist art practitioners with the administrative tools they need to administer, manage and distribute their creative work more effectively, thus maximising income, individual and organisational sustainability.

The following chapters explore the topics that many artist need to address. The term “artist” is not solely applicable to Fine Artist - it includes all practitioners in the fields of crafts, photography, design, and fashion – in fact any field where you or a co-operative makes a product. The CD will also be of particular interest to the Gallery owner and committee members of Association of Arts organisations.

Marketing, Branding and Advertising
Writing Press Releases
Personal Information and Profile
Artist Statement - essentials
Dealing with Galleries and Businesses
Dealing with REJECTION
Artists Consignment Notes
Contracts and Legal Documents
Planning your first exhibition
Fundraising
Make Friends
Arts Festivals
Copyright for Artists
Exhibiting Overseas and Exporting
Design Indaba Symposium and Expo
Useful Websites

The CD-Rom is available for a mere R50.00 - and includes one years free membership to the Friends of the Art Museum and all the benefits that the friends receive by being a member.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Annual Chairman's Report

Chairman’s Report Monday 30 March 2009

The Chairmans report is available to all paid up members. Please email friends.ART.museum@telkomsa.net to obtain an electronic format.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Art in Mind Symposium

NELSON MANDELA BAY PRESENTS
“ART IN MIND” SYMPOSIUM 2009
Three days of events for your enrichment and enjoyment that will draw attention to the contemporary debates and opinions that surround design, art and craft issues.

WHEN? : 25, 26, 27 March 2009
WHERE? : Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, 1 Park Drive, Port Elizabeth
TELEPHONE: 041 5062000
E-MAIL: artmuseum@mandelametro.gov.za
The “Art in Mind” Symposium is for artists, art lovers and special interest groups, especially those studying art. We are hoping to make this an annual event that will explore modern and contemporary art and art trends, specifically in South Africa and Africa in relation to global perceptions. Art Historians and art and business professionals will be invited to speak on art/craft /design issues and related topics that are informative, will invite debate and discussion and promote a sharing of opinions, knowledge and skills.

EMPTY VESSELS?

Curated by Dr Melanie Hillebrand, Director of the Art Museum and Exhibition Curator, Emma Taggart, this exhibition is anything but empty, with over seventy pieces filling the exhibition space. The accompanying text invites visitors to consider questions such as “Do vessels have anything to say?”and “Why do some people think pottery is not art?” The Symposium events will explore these and other questions and opinions, inviting further debate and discussion.
“ART IN MIND”

LECTURE SERIES
25 March 9:00 – 13:00
9:00 – 10:00
Feet of clay: Melanie Hillebrand – Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Throughout the world attitudes towards media‑driven genre are moulded by the expectations of those who write about the Fine Arts from a Western perspective. If clay objects are mentioned at all in mainstream art history it will be in the following contexts:
1. There was nothing else of value to illustrate a particular historical period (viz. Greek vase painting), or
2. Their decorative value briefly influenced the history of style (viz, Chinoiserie)
As a result most Fine Arts graduates are ignorant of the nearly 10000‑year‑old history of ceramic sculpture and vessels. As if this were not bad enough, the current passion for installation art had de‑valued genres such as ceramics which is media‑ rather than concept‑driven.
Ceramists themselves have not helped by espousing 20th Century craft ethics imposed by practitioners eager to preserve hand‑crafts made redundant by the industrial revolution.
This paper will deal with the dilemmas faced by artists loyal to a complex and demanding craft who wish to be acknowledged by the Fine Arts community.
10:00 – 10:30 - Tea
10:30 – 11:30
Design – Craft – Art: Crafty Designer Art: Bruce Cadle, Head of Applied Design at NMMU The paper will address the importance of craft as an end product to the creative process and will comment on the notion that art colleges produce graduates that are able to articulate concepts but seldom have the hand skills to translate their ideas into material product. This aspect of the artisanal imperative will attempt to justify a working relationship between design and fine art. Further it will also highlight the realities facing artists working in a consumer society and the effects this has on art production.
11:30 – 12:15
The art of Business - the business of the Arts: Anthony Harris
Anthony Harris is a professional artist and past owner of three art galleries.
Harris will discuss the importance of “Art” practitioners to professionally market their creative work in a global environment. Today, artists not only have to be able to create work, but also have to work with and manage their relationships with many role players, both within the arts industry and in a number of fields that support it.
He will discuss issues which are critical to the “survival” of a professional artist – which includes all forms of artistic creativity. Operating within the parameters of good business practice is as important to an artist’s growth and success as is developing and growing one’s creativity. Discussion topics include: Branding, marketing, internet essentials, risk management and other related tools of “The business of Art”.
12:15 - 13:00
Business & Arts SA - Promoting mutually beneficial & sustainable Business/Arts partnerships: Melanie Manson - Business and Arts South Africa Regional Representative – Eastern Cape.
Manson will approach her topic in fairly broad terms, with emphasis on all the different aspects of BASA, the supporting grant scheme, various scenarios of how business is currently supporting the arts and examples of creative Arts/business partnerships that benefit both parties and society as a whole. She will also speak about Barloworld's mentorship programme run via BASA.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Construct: beyond the documentary photograph...

Heidi Erdmann and Jacob Lebeko,
curators of the exhibition, will be conducting
a walkabout for the public while visiting the city for the launch of the exhibition.

Date: Friday 6 February 2008
Time: 12:00
Entrance is free.

The two curators have put together a selection of South African photography which shows the innovative and unique way in which photographers use the medium. Among the well-known artists featured are Roger Ballen, Berni Searle, Zwelethu Mthethwa and Brent Meistre.

“The works needed to enquire into notions of construction, deconstruction and/or reconstruction and each artist featured contributes a unique visual vocabulary” says Erdmann, owner of the Photographers’ Gallery in Cape Town.

All are welcome to attend.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Add your Website or Blogspot

The Friends would like to invite all members of The Friends of the Art Museum to submit your website/blogspot to be hosted as a LINK on this blogspot. Please submit your details to: friends.ART.museum@telkomsa.net
Visit our links at the bottom of the Blog.