Springs learners are among 20 finalists of a heritage competition who were invited to attend the FNB Art Fair at the Sandton Convention Centre on September 5.
The learners immersed themselves in the world of art at a one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring works in various media by renowned artists.
The finalists include Thando Vilakazi and Dirieanne Meyer from Dr WK du Plessis High School in Geduld, Zintle Nkambule from Buckingham Academy, and Anjoelize Maree from Hoërskool John Vorster in Nigel.
Nkambule said she jumped with excitement when she found out she was a finalist.
“I was so surprised because so many people entered, and being a finalist is amazing.”
Nkambule said her drawing represents a strong African woman.
“In the artwork, she is holding a spear and shield. She represents a leader, like a female president,” she explained.
The heritage competition is a collaboration between the Gauteng Art for Public Schools (GAPS) and the City of Ekurhuleni’s Cultural Affairs Division (Visual Arts and Galleries Section) of the Department of Community Services.
The purpose of the competition was to call on high school learners to showcase their artistic talent and cultures, as well as share and celebrate their heritage through art.
“It was also meant to identify strong visual artists to be part of a six-month anti-bullying campaign. The 20 finalists will produce artworks for an anti-bullying group exhibition and participate in a talk about this social issue plaguing every community and school,” GAPS founder Nyeleti Majuba said.
She said her standout moment from the art fair was watching the learners as they experienced a space where they would be featured as visual artists.
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“They didn’t have to imagine the space but got first-hand experience. We exposed them to different careers in the creative industry and introduced them to the business side of the industry.”
“My takeaway as a teacher is that experience is the best way to learn. After the fair, the learners talked about different media, techniques, and forms of art.
“The sculptures and installations fascinated them because they thought art was only on a flat surface, like a canvas. The fair opened their eyes to different avenues of expression,” Nyeleti explained.
The finalists will attend two workshops at the Springs Art Gallery, and learners living far from Springs will also join virtually on September 28, October 2, and 11.
But first, they will complete their ‘Be the Voice’-themed A2 artwork as part of the anti-bullying group exhibition. The final artworks will be submitted on November 21.
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