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
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.
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.
Exposure Gallery
The Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock
Exposure Gallery offers a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work, and also showcases the work of well-known artists, with an emphasis on photography.
Additionally, you’ll find an array of inspirational photography books available, and have the chance to buy photographs that can be custom-printed onto lampshades, wallpaper, canvas, paper, and framed prints.
Woodstock Art Gallery
189 Sir Lowry Road
New to Woodstock in the Woodstock Quarter hub.
D Core Art & Soul Design
Buchanan building, 160 Sir Lowry Rd
Artist Studios
Woodstock and Salt River have a host of artist studios where artists work daily, either as collectives or from their own homes. These are a few of the notable ones:
Side Street Studios
48 Albert Road, Woodstock
Artists based at Side Street Studios include Juan Zamora from Madrid, Holly Knox from New York, Raw Tella from Italy, and many more.
Frere Street Studios
12 Frere Street, Woodstock
SideTrack Studios
100 Voortrekker Road, Salt River
SideTrack Studios, managed by Durban-born artist Claude Chandler, is a creative collective of visual artists situated at the Spice Yard in Salt River – a vibrant, diverse business hub for creatives and entrepreneurs.
Watch a film with the artists in their studios below.
Claude Chandler artist studio
Side Track Studios, Salt River
Paul Senyol studio
32 William Street, Woodstock (contact him for studio visits)
One of Cape Town’s top abstract contemporary artists, Paul Senyol has his home studio in Woodstock. He’s both a fine artist and street artist who has also collaborated on decor pieces and is represented by Salon 91 in Cape Town’s trendy Kloof Street.
Imiso Ceramics
The Old Biscuit Mill, 66 Albert Rd
Headed up by ceramicists Andile Dyalvane and Zizipho Poswa, both represented by the prestigious contemporary art and design establishment Southern Guild, these are two of South Africa’s most prolific and internationally recognised ceramic artists creating both small-scale ceramics and much larger sculptural works, often speaking to their Xhosa heritage.
Andrzej Urbanski
Also featuring on this year’s Cape Town Art Fair, Andrzej Urbanski is a Polish-born, Berlin-raised artist operating based in Woodstock, Cape Town. He first came to South Africa in early 2012 on the invitation of Ricky Lee Gordon of the then-Woodstock gallery /A WORD OF ART to participate in a residency. Contact him directly to visit his Woodstock studio or see his murals at Side Street Studio and at the Woodstock Exchange.
Watch an interview with Andrzej Urbanski by photographer and filmmaker Rowan Pybus below.
Clementina Ceramics
501 Tollgate Industrial Centre, 12 Ravenscraig Road
Read more about iconic Cape Town ceramicist Clementina van der Walt in our blog on the women of Woodstock, ‘Women-owned Businesses in Woodstock‘.
Also based in the same building is her son and one half of Hoi P’loy, whose artisanal lighting store feature in our blog ‘Woodstock Design District: 5 Creative Businesses to Know‘.
Art Festivals
IPAF Street Art Festival
Every February, Cape Town
Over the years, the International Public Art Festival has expanded from Salt River’s street art route to include Woodstock’s other neighbouring suburb, Zonnebloem or District Six, in Cape Town’s east city precinct, and the Cape Town CBD. The festival includes live graffiti and street art murals being added to Cape Town’s skyline each annual edition of the festival, alongside street art tours, either on foot or by bicycle, and both guided or self guided.
Visit ipafest.co.za for more on this year’s programme.
Salt River Street Art Tours
Bazart, the festival organisers, also offer guided street art tours all year round of Salt River and the CBD.
Book a street art tour at baz-art.co.za.
Art stores, framers and fine-art printing
The Deckle Edge
13 Brickfield Road, Salt River
Situated on the border of Woodstock in Salt River’s Brickfield Road, The Deckle Edge is hands-down Cape Town’s most popular art store, stocking everything arts and craft from art materials such as artists’ paint and beautiful paper to graphic supplies, stationery, and arts, craft and hobby equipment.
If you’re a budding artist you will also enjoy their regular newsletter, which comes with art tips and how-tos, as well as their Arts and Craft blog.
Wet Ink: Fine Art Printing
Woodstock Exchange, 66 Albert Road
Specialists in fine-art printing, Wet Ink is a small team that delivers hands-on, personable customer service and the best quality art printing around at competitive pricing.
Robin Sprong Wallpapers
Studio 113, Mason’s Press
Adorn your entire wall with fine art, courtesy of Robin Sprong, whose collection includes renowned artists like Tretchikof and the old masters, to local contemporary artists and designers like Richard Scott, Skinny Laminx, A Love Supreme and Renée Rossouw, to custom and inhouse designs from tropical jungle and seascapes to rich textures and organic forms.
Read more in our blog on the Woodstock Design District, ‘5 Woodstock Creative Businesses to Know‘.
Framed Master Gilders & Framers
4 Frere Street
The Frame & Art Factory
388 Albert Road
Art Schools and Colleges
Keen to study art or design, or learn a skill like painting or photography? Woodstock has you sorted. Here are some of the most notable institutions in the area, from academic to informal art schools:
Ruth Prowse
Top of Birkdale Avenue, 5 Elson Road, Woodstock
Offering a range of art courses, full time and part time and both accredited and extra-curricular, in fine art, jewellery design, graphic design, Ruth Prowse is home to academic art students and beginners looking to take up an art course such as drawing or painting. Located in a wonderful heritage building in Woodstock, a highlight on their calendar for visitors is the annual fine art and jewellery graduates art exhibition.
View art courses at ruthprowse.co.za
Design Academy of Fashion
The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road
Art Klub Cape Town
Inscape Design College, 17 Salt River Road
