An important development for KwaZulu-Natal artists was the inauguration of the University of Zululand Festival of Arts in 1980. It incorporated an art exhibition. The African Art Centre was closely involved with the exhibitions, which were held annually until 1989.

Help was given in making the exhibitions known to artists, the Centre was a collection point for work, and it assisted in an advisory capacity with organisation of the events. These kinds of services have been rendered by the Art Centre over many years.

Professor Absolom Vilakazi, who had returned to South Africa after many years in the United States and was head of the Centre for Research and Documentation at the University of Zululand, played an important role in the festivals. He raised considerable funds, primarily from Citibank, to cover the costs of organising the exhibitions and of prizes.

Dumisani (Sidney) Dube, of the University of Zululand, gave invaluable assistance in the beginning by travelling the country to encourage artists to participate, and to collect their work.

From a somewhat unwieldy, ill assorted and poorly presented submission, Hugh Dent of the Fine Arts Department at Natal Technikon, and I were asked to select work for the first exhibition. Most of the artists participating were Rorke's Drift Art School students, or had been.

There is no official record of the prize winners in the first catalogue, but George Pemba, a well established painter from the Eastern Cape, was given the main award.

Scotch Mathebula, a resident in the area, showed some most original paintings on glass. They were my personal choice. Mathebula was an older man whom I suspect was taught the technique of painting on glass by a missionary.

Several of his paintings were sold on the exhibition and - encouraged by his success - he exhibited on later University of Zululand exhibitions, went on to be quite acclaimed as a naive artist, and took part in an exhibition in Johannesburg. Thereafter his paint­ing, in my opinion, deteriorated and his fame has been rather short lived.

It would have been worthwhile to have given artists like Mathebula access to training, new materials and tech­niques and, as important, contact with other artists in order to widen their vision. Without it some artists find it difficult to escape their isolation. Early financial success can compound the problem.

The first exhibition laid the foundation for what became an important annual exhibition. Evident again at the second exhibition in 1981 was work from former or present Rorke's Drift students, although with the exception of Vuminkosi Zulu, they did not feature among the award winners.

The 1981 award winners were Vuminkosi Zulu, Wiseman Mbambo and Daniel Mbongwe; with a special mention for Philemon Sangweni in the sculpture section. All these artists sold their work through the African Art Centre. In the painting and graphics section, prize winners were Derek Zulu and George Pemba, Azaria Mbatha and a special mention for Scotch Mathebula.

The 1982 exhibition was enriched by the inclusion of crafts, and a good entry was received, including a magnificent collection of weavings from the Rorke's Drift Art Centre and baskets from the Vukani Association.

Rorke's Drift students featured again, as well as graduates of the school who had become established in Johan­nesburg. Names such as Ezrom Legae and Durrant Sihlali two well known Johannesburg artists, appear in the catalogue showing that the exhibition had received wide acceptance.

In the painting section Vukile Ntuli, now a lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Durban-Westville, was awarded the first prize for Ntselamanzi - Cactus. Ezrom Legae received the first prize for graphics and Thami Jali for his sculpture Mama.

A further widening of the exhibition's horizons occurred in 1983, when for the first time a few white artists entered. The 1983 exhibition was more craft orientated than before, with basketry from members of the Vukani Association dominating.

There were 278 works of art and craft exhibited, 57 of which were 'not for sale' linocuts by Azaria Mbatha. He was an invited artist. Award winners associated with the African Art Centre were Bongiwe Dhlomo for her linocut Cemetery Unrest - Premature Resurrection, and Daniel Mbongwe for his sculpture Ukweshwana.

The remoteness of the University of Zululand precluded many viewers from visiting the annual exhibitions, and in 1983 it was moved to the University of Natal and the Mangosuthu Technikon in Umlazi to enable a wider public to view it.

Entries to the 1984 exhibition showed that it had become very well established. There was a strong graphics section and award winners in this category were John dark, Suzette Grobblaar and Lionel Murcott, Painting awards went to Leonard dark, Angela Khuzwayo, Zamani Makhanya, Marion Griffin and Scotch Mathebula.

First prize in the Crafts section was awarded to M Shabalala and Gordon Mbatha for their tapestry People who Stay on White Farmers' Property Become Slaves. This, to my knowledge, was the first tapestry woven at Rorke's Drift depicting any form of obvious political comment.

Interest in the University of Zululand exhibitions continued to grow, with strong entries in 1985 and 1986. The African Art Centre was particularly pleased when Zamokwakhe Gumede - whose talent had been spotted and progress watched from the time he brought a set of simple but appealing carvings - became the overall winner of the 1986 exhibition.

Other 1986 award winners were Lee Hemson for her painting Johannes and Scotch Mathubela for Isiqiwu. In the graphics section Lungile Phambo and Sue Williamson won first and second prizes, and in the crafts section Rorke's Drift weavers again featured, with Gladys Nxumalo and Mary Shabalala scooping awards for their woven carpets.

Derrick Nxumalo was the overall winner of the 1987 exhibition for his painting Indawu Yase Welkom. As with Zamokwakhe Gumede, we had known him since he brought in his early modest water colour paintings in 1985, when he was a gardener. Painting awards went to Alfred Mokoena for Shangane Women and to Saint Mokoena for Bucklands Store.

Drawing and graphics awards were won by Sfiso Mkame for his oil pastel drawing Letters to my Child, and to S Mthimkulu for Mourners, while sculpture awards went to Philemon Sangweni for Natal-KwaZulu Indaba, and Mziwakhe Mbatha received a special mention for Soldier. Five of the winners had close connections with the African Art Centre.

The last of the University of Zululand Art exhibitions was held in 1989. By this time it was attracting a large number of artists from outside KwaZulu-Natal. Except for Nkosinathi Ntshalintshali, all the prize winners that year were from outside the province.

They were Sybille Nagel, the overall winner for The Singing Bone. Mandla Nani and Wandile Mlangeni for their paintings, Owen and Goldwin Ndou for sculpture, and Nkosinathi Ntshalintshali and Tyrone Appolis for drawing and graphics. Craft did not feature as in previous years.

While the titles of many the works accepted for exhibition were typical of the times - for example Looking for Peace, Tired Third Class Passengers and The jobless People - this was less evident than during the era of protest art.

It is unfortunate that the 1989 exhibition was the last. However, in its 10 years the exhibition had served a worthwhile purpose by giving a number of unknown artists the opportunity to exhibit alongside established artists.