Local art back at George Museum

GEORGE NEWS - Delayed renovations of the Sayers Art Gallery of the George Museum worked out in favour of the local art community. Three exhibitions are now going up onto the walls.

They will be open for viewing free of charge to all citizens from 7 December until mid-January. Open hours are 08:00 to 16:30 on weekdays and 09:00 to 12:00 on Saturdays.

A second viewing of the "Old Masters" reproduction collection was a special request from museum management to the artists of the South Cape Association for Visual Arts (Scava).

"This was previously such a successful exhibition that other towns on the Garden Route are queueing up to have it, but logistics are an impediment," says Scava chairperson Maura StJohn. "It is a very expensive task to crate and transport paintings around the country, from venue to venue."

Twenty-five Garden Route artists are taking part, each displaying their own special gift, creating a language we all understand. The best works of many "Old Masters" are present, from Leonardo da Vinci to Vincent van Gogh, to a full wall of Impressionist painters.

The second exhibition is Scava's "Medley of Miniature Masterpieces" and the third, the results of the "Favourite Painting" members only competition. Thirty one Garden Route artists took part, each sending in their favourite painting and a dissertation on why it became their favourite. "The pictures and stories defy belief. Some are uplifting, some amusing and some very sad ones," says StJohn.

Though the competition was originally intended to be posted online only, the works can now be seen "in the flesh".

Each of these exhibits showcases the outstanding talents of artists who reside from Mossel Bay to Knysna in the Garden Route and inland to De Rust and Prince Albert.

"Visitors to the museum recently expressed surprise at the amount of artistic talent in George. How lucky are we!" says St John.

Painter Helen Pfeil back to back with her favourite impressionist artist, Edouard Manet.