Strauss & co - Wits Art Museum

8 WITS ARTS MUSEUM ENDOWMENT AUCTION O ur journey towards creating a magnificent space to house our African art treasures began ten years ago. Halfway into our journey, Robert Hodgins catalysed the idea for a fund-raising auction for Wits Art Museum. Robert was a huge supporter of the new museum project and even before the first jackhammers reverberated into shell of the old garage on the corner of Jorissen Street, he donated a work to the museum, to be used for this purpose. Fast forward five years and it is now almost a full year since Wits Art Museum opened its doors to the public after a gruelling ten year project to create the new vibrant space. Since the opening, 12 exhibitions have been held. Highlights included the opening exhibition, Seeing Stars , and a major, internationally curated retrospective of the work of Santu Mofokeng. This year, A Lasting Impression: The Robert Hodgins Print Archive , accompanied by a beautiful fully illustrated catalogue drew scores of appreciative visitors. Currently on display is an important show on the work of Gerard Sekoto. A major exhibition on migrancy and migrant culture is planned for next year. The past year has seen many school and other interest groups participating in tours and the museum has hosted other events such as book launches, photographic shoots and revenue generating corporate functions. WAM hosted the prestigious BASA awards, a Department of Arts and Culture dinner for African ministerial delegates to the UNESCOWorld heritage sites conference and the Ruth First Colloquium. This year, WAM has launched an active and dynamic public education programme: Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, the public can join a TALKABOUT with various experts who provide insights into current exhibitions; on the 3rd Saturday of every month, primary school children can participate in a targeted and designed museum experience. Both of these programmes are free and open to everyone. A very successful introductory course on African art was completely over-subscribed and we have launched a Docent (voluntary guide) programme in order to grow the museum’s capacity to deliver tours and other education programmes. A special event was organised for art and other subject teachers to introduce them to using the museum as an educational resource. The WAM Family Day titled Safari in Braamies was packed with excited children and thoroughly enjoyed by all participants. Additional programmes planned for the second part of the year include an after-hours programme for young adults, and a CityKids outreach project. There are additional measures by which we judge our success: The WAM mailing list has grown exponentially in the months since the museum launch; we have developed a loyal community of Facebook followers and have generated an advertising value equivalent in the print, online, television and radio media, well in excess of R10 million. From a funding perspective, there is no question of the museum’s sustainability. Basic staff and operating costs are covered by the University, as they have been for the last almost 35 years. The University has also bolstered staffing capacity in the last year with the addition of two new posts and continues to provide modest funds towards the purchase of contemporary South African art. The ongoing generous support of and partnership with the Standard Bank ensures the African art collection continues to grow steadily. Private individuals, collectors and galleries also continue to make ABOUT WITS ART MUSEUM