Tag: art

Woodstock Art Guide

February is Cape Town art month – with two major programme highlights being the Cape Town Art Fair from 16-18 February at the CTICC, and the International Public Art Festival from 14-18 February across the City Centre. To celebrate Woodstock’s place on the Cape Town art map, we have compiled our own guide of all the artist hot spots to be found in Woodstock and neighbouring Salt River.⁠

From art galleries and artist studios, to some of the best art stores, framing shops and art colleges in the city, Woodstock is one of the most notable art routes in Cape Town.⁠

Woodstock Art Galleries

Stevenson Gallery

Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road

@stevenson_za

Arguably one of Cape Town’s most important galleries, representing regional artists on the international art scene such as Zanele Muholi, Penny Siopis, Guy Tillim, Zander Blom, Wim Botha and Pieter Hugo, Stevenson has galleries in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Amsterdam and participates in Art Basel, Frieze London, Paris Photo, Art Basel Miami Beach and of course, Cape Town Art Fair.

Art It Is Gallery

76 Albert Road, Woodstock

Art Is It is a vibrant addition to the contemporary art scene, providing a space that both showcases new talent and removes the feeling of intimidation when visiting a gallery to view art.

@artitisgallery

131a Gallery

131 Sir Lowry Road

One of Cape Town’s top young galleries of contemporary art in a small space that hosts excellent exhibitions of solo artists and group shows, 131a Gallery is run by the founder of Cape Town’s artsy Lake magazine, Brett Bellairs.

@131agallery

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February is National Art Month

February is Art Month blog

In 1991, February was declared National Arts Month with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683. Nearly 30 years later February still comes alive with activities and events around the arts, creativity and self-expression. We see the amalgamation of so many groups, agencies and individual artists and art lovers coming together to celebrate the beautiful yet complex world of art.

Keen to see what this February has in store? Check out where to catch the buzz.

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Woodstock artists and galleries: local talent on an international stage.

Woodstock bubbles over with culture. There are vibrant stories everywhere, from the historic buildings to the memories of local residents. If you’ve never stopped to engage with the wonder that is Woodstock, 2018 is a great time to start!

We at WID want to take you on a journey of our favourite area this year, starting with a look at two of the inspiring galleries right here on our doorstep.

  1. Greatmore Studios

This studio has a philanthropic ethos, providing space for both artists and the wider community to come together in creative activity. It is governed and managed by a board of trustees on behalf of the Greatmore Studios Trust.

As you might have guessed, it’s located on Greatmore Street! The street that feels like home with its spirit of togetherness. The studio is a hub of activity consisting of twelve studios, a digital arts facility and a social courtyard.

The Trust also own a house in Observatory to accommodate out of town visitors participating in their various programs and a minibus to transport participants to outreach projects.

The Greatmore Studios Trust was established in 1998 and registered as an NPO in 2007. The objectives of this body include:

  • Providing training and a studio environment for artists to allow them to build a professional practice and establish a career or employment.
  • Organising workshops for the exchange of practice and ideas amongst participants from different communities and cultures.
  • Making the arts accessible to new audiences and involving different people in the process of art making, including the exhibition of their work.
  • Supporting global workshops and residency programmes which enable South Africans to travel abroad and visiting artists to share their skills here.

  1. Stevenson

Located on the ground floor of the Buchanan building, this gallery is perfect for filling your lunch hour with some art. Take a break from your screen, step out of the office and pop in here for some inspiration. You won’t be disappointed.

Stevenson opened in 2003 and has spaces in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. The directors of this gallery are titans of the African art world, famous for finding and representing the most exciting talent. They were early to exhibit artists from other African countries, and now have an international exhibition programme which attracts attention from around the globe.

The gallery also publishes books in the form of exhibition catalogues. It is therefore possible to take home a taste of works by Stevenson artists including Steven Cohen, Kemang Wa Lehulere and Moshekwa Langa. Currently the work of more than 30 artists is represented in the gallery, of which two thirds are South African.

Woodstock residents are lucky to live amongst such creativity, and it’s both important and inspiring to make the most of the art around us. Why not take a trip to one of these, or the many other interesting galleries, this month? There’s so much to see right here on our doorstep!

Art and about in Woodstock

Woodstock is known as a cultural hub jam-packed with artistic events, exhibitions and galleries around every corner. All of these serve to promote international work but more importantly, local talent. New galleries are constantly popping up and we’ll keep you in the loop on our events page. To get you started on what to look out for, the following five galleries stand out:

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  1. The Lovell Gallery

In 2014, Christian Sulger-Buel and Tamzin Lovell Miller partnered to launch Sulger-Buel Lovell in London. Christian had been collecting African art for over 35 years, and Tamzin opened her first gallery in Cape Town in December 2009.

The collection at the Lovell Gallery has a focus on fresh quality pieces with a majority focus on local artists, making stunning pieces available to art lovers at rather affordable prices. It has a main gallery where solo and group shows are displayed, as well as a smaller gallery upstairs with a variety of more contemporary works.

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  1. Goodman Gallery Cape Town

The Goodman Gallery has branches in Woodstock and Johannesburg, and is home to a fantastic collection of contemporary art by local as well as international artists. They will be hosting a major exhibition at the Woodstock gallery, titled ‘Africans in America’ from 17 November to 17 January, which you don’t want to miss.

The exhibition will be conceptualised and curated by Liza Essers and Hank Willis Thomas; and it runs concurrent to a major international academic conference. Follow their Facebook page for more details.

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  1. WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery

For curators and collectors looking for sculptures, paintings, performance pieces, installations or drawings, the WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery has become one of the most popular spots to find these artefacts in Woodstock.

WHATIFTHEWORLD intends to stimulate and facilitate critical debates and dialogue within the art community. They also have a very impressive history in publishing artist monographs and catalogues, and have been the host of a series of noteworthy exhibitions, continually looking for new ways to represent established and upcoming South African artists.

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  1. SMAC Gallery

SMAC Gallery represents a number of established and emerging South African artists as well as international artists. They strongly encourage international exchange by hosting and offering exchange programmes to well-known international artists, as well as artists from the African continent. Don’t miss the upcoming exhibition, ‘Degreened’ by Frances Goodman that will be on display from 29 October to 3 December.

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  1. Blank Projects

Blank Projects is an independent exhibition space that showcases multiple new developments and pieces of contemporary South African art. What makes this a great space is their willingness to feature experimental work and the regular flow of new and exciting exhibitions and artists. Don’t miss the current exhibition, ‘ASSEMBLE’ by Kyle Morland on display until 19 November 2016.

Keep your eyes on our social media profiles for follow-up posts on some more impressive galleries in Woodstock.

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Take a walk on the Woodstock side of graffiti

Art and graffiti is synonymous with Woodstock; from wall art to architecture this suburb is a masterpiece to behold. One of the most iconic elements of the Woodstock area is its intricately and strikingly detailed urban canvases. Walls, buildings, fences, houses, road structures, bridges – all have been beautifully tainted with this thing called art. More specifically, graffiti art.

Graffiti has often been seen as a symbol of rebellion, key demonstrations of propaganda and an overall recklessness. However, it has come to be so much more. The art of graffiti is a comment on society; it tells the stories of a community and the evolution of an environment or group of people. From simple illustrations to more accessorised literary statements and humorous caricatures, it’s become a key part of our history and our day-to-day lives.

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The first stop on your soon-to-be graffiti journey in Woodstock should be Sidestreet Studios on Albert Road – this has become the unofficial heart of art and design. Contrary to what you’d think, the walls on this collection of three buildings was done by a Spanish artist, Okuda. What a brilliant display of vibrancy and life! It just goes to show that art can cross continents and still bring people together. This mural is a high-flying flag for all aspiring artists.

Not all the graffiti in Woodstock is as fresh, though. As one of the oldest, most culturally and historically rich areas of Cape Town, some of the art you see has been there for years and years reminding residents how far the suburb has come. Fortunately, art doesn’t dictate what the story should be. So although the original artist painted with something in mind, any display of creativity is open for you to ascribe your own story or meaning to it. Art is truly about heart and it brings people together – it has brought Woodstock residents together for years.

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Take a walk, or a cycle, or even a drive, through the welcoming streets of Woodstock and take in the inspiration that is plastered on almost every corner.