MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Speaking my mind about the situation for our City’s Visual Artists

By

Dear Everyone

Nelson Mandela Bay: We lost a very dear friend, legendary artist, and brother: Mpumelelo Melane, who passed away last Thursday. May his soul rest in peace.

Mpume played a significant role as an artist activist (under the banner of Imvaba) during the Struggle years and his artworks are in International collections all over the world. He also attended the UK – London Zabalaza anti-apartheid Struggle festival in 1989.

Some of his works can be viewed inside our City – at the Boardwalk – the “golf players”.

One of the most beautiful artworks he did, was never sold, as Mpume had no opportunity to sell it.

Sadly our City’s Local Government still does not invest in buying our artists’ works – nor does it offer a lucrative market for artists to produce and survive. Many of our artists end up either leaving the City or taking up other jobs. And our local employers, esp. Government seem to believe that visual artists should cease from being artists, once they work for them.

Sorry, really not meaning to hit out at anyone, but its just a fact. If I and others don’t mention, how will the relevant stakeholders begin to notice and assist in changing this situation?

There are some great private galleries – who try their best, but there are many visual artists in our City. And Government must begin to play a much more serious role.

In other Countries, visual artists receive great support from their Governments, even if they are full-time employed, with incentives such as opportunities for them staying in international artist residences and being supported and treasured in such a way that they continue producing art – its evident that such Countries – value not only their artists, but encourage their talented people to be creatively productive.

In our Country we very much value our sports people, why not our artists as well?

To be an artist is most often not a choice, its a deep talent and creative ability that one gets born with: and such people needs development opportunities. Otherwise, its a tragedy when one really begins to have a deeper glimpse on such a person’s life and frustrations.

Life is too short to not be what one was talented to be.

None of our Government Offices and Boardrooms have our City’s artworks – and when it comes to national and local government events, only performing artists and musicians get invited to contribute. Visual artists continue to be completely out in the cold during such occasions.

Sad I think, as if the City would have invited our visual artists to make backdrops and other creative works, these would have become the art collections of our City and perhaps these could have eventually brought some visual art presence in dreary and somber Government buildings & spaces!

We are very grateful however to the Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency, investing in visual arts – public art.

Much more can be done! Any person born with great talents and skills need support from their Country – IT CAN BE DONE!

Our visual artists made great contributions during the Struggle Era. That kind of need continues and artists have a very special and deep way of portraying life, and people need to be surrounded by art. Its very important I believe.

Mpume died in extreme poverty… He did his final year (3rd year) in Fine arts at NMMU but could not complete after he went to France to stay for a week at an artist residency. Our university warned him that if he should go they would not allow him to complete his studies as it was towards the end of the year.

The artist residency award was given from France, to us Imvaba artists, after our mural at the City’s Taxi Rank, (remember it? “Aids the new Struggle”) won the best mural award on HIV in South Africa. Only one artist could enjoy the price and we felt Mpume was the best candidate.

It really troubled Mpume deeply that he could not complete his studies and he sadly began drinking more and more. But he was however not a “drunken” kind of person.

Tomorrow a Memorial Service will be conducted for the late Mpume, at Hoza Hall (Cecil Kapi) in Ward 15 – at 17:00 for 17:30.  The venue is in Avenue A (Sheya Kulati Drive) here in New Brighton

Please feel free to join us… It will be a special event and some of Mpume’s art will be exhibited there.

Best regards

Annette du Plessis
(Fellow visual artist , Community activist, Government employee, and a long standing friend of our late Mpumelelo Melane)

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