The African Art Centre

The African Art Centre was initiated in 1959 by the Natal Region of the South African Institute of Race Relations, a long established non-governmental organisation con­cerned with race relations. Since the Institute was occupied chiefly with research and investigation, the initiation of the Race Relations 'shop' was a minor event.

Professor Hansi Pollak, chairman of the Natal Region. Mary Draper, the research officer, and I were concerned with fund raising for the Institute and felt that the sale of art and craft would fulfill several purposes.

Firstly, it would be a means of raising money. Secondly, it would benefit rural crafts people. Later its value as a medium of communication in a divided society was realised, and the Art Centre was increasingly seen to be fulfilling the aims of the Institute to 'work for peace, goodwill and practical cooperation between all the races of South Africa'.

In the same year as the Art Centre's modest beginnings, another artistic development by the Institute took place. It was a theatrical venture-the production of the musical play Imkhumbane (Cato Manor).

The script was by Alan Paton, music by Todd Matshikisa and direction by Malcolm Woolfson, who was supported by a talented team of professionals and 250 players, all on a voluntary basis. The gala opening night in March 1960 was postponed following the Sharpeville shooting of March 16; and the call by Chief Albert Luthuli for a day of mourning. However, it subsequently played for a week in the Durban City Hall to full multi-racial houses - a memorable event.

The 'shop', at a rental of R16 a month, was situated in an office adjacent to the Institute's offices in Colonisation Chambers in West Street. When Colonisation Chambers was demolished the Institute offices moved to Syfret House, and the African Art Centre began to play a greater role.

In 1967 the Institute moved to Guildhall Arcade, where there was more space, and the Art Centre became firmly established. The 1967/1968 Annual Report of the Institute of Race Relations noted that the African Art Centre had continued to grow, and formed an important part of the Institute's efforts to bring people with common interests together as well as showing the public the contribution African artists and crafts people were making to South Africa.

In June 1982 the Art Centre began operating financially independently of the Institute. In November 1983 - following an ultimatum from Head Office, saying the Centre should be closed immediately or 'go it alone' - it moved out from under the umbrella of the Institute to become an autonomous organisation.

The Institute of Race Relations was facing financial problems at the time. Nevertheless, there was considerable opposition to the idea of closing the Art Centre from both the Durban and Pietermaritzburg branches, who felt that it played an important role in the Institute's work.

So strong was the feeling of the Regional Committee in Durban that one of its members personally guaranteed to meet any losses the Art Centre might incur after November 1, 1983, until it could be registered as an autonomous organisation. This generous gesture enabled the Art Centre to pursue the idea of becoming a registered company, not for gain.

All thanks are due to Duchesne Grice, for more than 20 years a member of the Natal Regional Committee of the Institute and a past President of the National Council. who negotiated our separation and carried out all the legal ramifications required by the Registrar of Companies.

Alan Paton, Malcom Woolfson (director),
Todd Matshikiza (music) and members of the cast preparing
for the musical Imkhumbane

The Durban African Art Centre was registered in 1984 with the founding directors, several of whom had been on the Regional Committee, being: Libby Ardington, Duchesne Grice, Rodney Harber, Dr Sylvia Kaplan, Professor Eleanor Preston-Whyte, Andrew Verster and Professor Absolom Vilakazi. Subsequently Chris Yuill, Paul Sibisi, Di Stewart and Marina Nyembezi joined the board, as did Dick Breytenback and Paul Mikula. In I 993 Sydney Dube, Vukile Ntuli and Jo Thorpe were appointed directors.

Applications for funding to tide the Art Centre over the initial independence period were made, and were backed by the Durban Art Gallery, Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Archbishop Denis Hurley. We were successful in obtaining R10 000 from the Donaldson Trust, and R5 000 from the Anglo American and De Beers Trust. No further funding for the general running of the Art Centre has been sought since then. The transition, painful as most transitions are, proved very worthwhile and the Art Centre has grown into a viable organisation.

An article written at the time by Clive Chipkin and published in the Transvaal Provincial Institute of archi­tects News No 1, 1984, gives an outside view of the African Art Centre, its aims, achievements and artists:

"The African Art Centre is a small shop tucked away in Guildhall Arcade, off Gardiner Street, Durban. Using the term Arts and Crafts in the original William Morris intonation, not only does the Centre serve as 'a central marketing point for good quality creative art and craft', it serves too as an assertion of the unquenchable human spirit and as a wondrous demonstration of human talent and virtuosity.

"It is a source of amazement that such joyful work is the product of so unpromising an environment - the impoverished rural hinterland and the peripheral urban areas of Natal-a twilight zone far from the affluence of the Durban Beach Front.

"The Art Centre is run by Jo Thorpe, who possesses rare qualities of deep understanding and marvellous eyes that can separate the genuine from the spurious. She recognises that skill and productive labour (and their products as art) are an expression and enchantment of human dignity-strong counters to the depersonalisation of poverty and the brutalising effects of our history. She describes the Art Centre in these words:

"'It has endeavoured to inspire confidence in artists and crafts people who wish to give individual expression to their work, rather than enter the curio market, and to bring to the notice of buyers the wealth of talents in our midst.'

"Jo Thorpe's (sic) shop is resplendent with the products of the rural craft projects that she has promoted or supported from their inception...These works are now a byword overseas for exuberant rural art forms that reflect the feel of our society."

The inscription Tito Zungu chooses for some of his pictures - Made in South Africa (Pty) Ltd - the article continues, could also stand as the motto of the Durban African Art Centre.

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