I was invited to be the speaker at the first Port Elizabeth #TravelTalk event hosted in Port Elizabeth by Urban-Econ which took place at the GFI Art Gallery this week. The GFI Gallery, previously known as the Ron Belling Art Gallery, have recently seen a big renovation and expansion and is looking stunning. If you haven't been recently then it's worth the visit.
I did a presentation at a SACCI meetings at the Athenaeum in Central this morning and grabbed the opportunity to go and have a look at the Share the Bay through your lens exhibition currently on in one of the exhibition rooms. Share the Bay through your lens is an exhibition hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism and Colours of You SA and features photos taken in the city by local photographers and Instagrammers and runs the length of September…
Do you know any of these two art galleries? The Ron Belling Art Gallery and the GFI Art Gallery. Perhaps the former sounds familiar. Not sure about the latter? Well, they are one and the same thing.The gallery is housed in a landmark Art Deco style building across from St Georges Park on Park Drive. The building, named "Ridgewood", was commissioned by Axel Stockelbach, then managing director of Ford South Africa, in 1936 and was designed by Gertruida Brinkman, the first woman Architect to qualify…
The artEC (EPSAC) Gallery in Central recently opened an art shop selling local art and craft. Over the last couple of years the gallery has really seen a turnaround with new exhibitions happening just about every few weeks as well as workshops and other activities geared towards the local art community. The new art shop just adds to their offering and I'm sure I heard a little birdie tell me that there could be a coffee shop opening there at some stage…
The colourful and vibrant side wall of the artEC Gallery in Central has really become one of Central's new landmarks
There are a couple of war memorials around St Georges Park commemorating those from Port Elizabeth who have died in various wars over the years. A number of them refer to the two World Wars with the most prominent one being the Cenotaph in front of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum. One of the lesser known ones is a plaque on the front wall of the art museum.
Port Elizabeth has some wonderful art galleries and some outstanding coffee shops, so what would be better than to find a combination between the two. Dessie's at the Tin House on Cuyler Street in Central is one such a place. Its a delightful little coffee shop which allows local artists to exhibit (and hopefully sell) their work there. The shop is situated in an old corrugated iron house which came to South Africa from England in kit form during the 1800's.
The EPSAC Community Art Centre, artEC, is the best place to go to see some of the top local established and emerging artists. They exhibits change every couple of weeks so return visits will always bring you something new. The gallery can be found in 36 Bird Street, Central.
A couple of visitors to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum trying to grasp an interesting art piece with an old man wearing a dress. Mmmmm, perhaps I should have read the tag to see what its about.
I was part of a very delightful and well supported art walk which visited a number of art galleries around Central. The Eye on Art television crew accompanied us on the walk to film it as an insert. Eye on Art is a weekly interactive, lifestyle magazine show on Bay TV, specialising on the art scene through the artist's eye. It broadcasts on Saturdays at 17:30 with repeats on Sundays at 12.30pm, Tuesdays at 7pm & Wednesdays at 11am. Bay TV can be seen free to air…