It's all set for JAG's mother of all parties
06 November 2015
The countdown to the centenary celebrations of the Johannesburg Art Gallery's Luytens Building in Joubert Park has begun. On November 10 the crème de la crème of Johannesburg will gather at the iconic and unique building from 6pm for an evening of glitz, glamour, expression and celebration. Although the gallery was established in 1910, it was not until 1915 that it moved - from its temporary location at the University of the Witwatersrand - to the newly constructed Lutyens Building at the corner of King George, between Wolmarans and Noord Streets.
The purpose-built structure was designed by architectural genius Sir Edwin Lutyens, a contemporary of Sir Herbert Baker, one of South Africa's best-known architects of the time. The City of Johannesburg has allocated R24-million over three years to restore the building to its former glory. "In 2010 we celebrated the centenary of the JAG collection. Now we are celebrating the centenary of the Lutyens Building with an evening of festivities at the gallery," said JAG Head Antoinette Murdoch.
"This centenary is not just about a one-night party, it is an injection of energy into the space and the surrounding area," says Murdoch. The centenary celebration exhibition line-up includes a star-studded cast of South Africa's up-and-coming "it kids" - dubbed the "new masters" - such as Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba, Ernest Mancoba, Alexis Preller, Cecil Skotnes, Walter Battiss, Maggie Laubser, Dumile Feni, Gerard Bhengu and Peter Clarke.
Art aficionados will be delighted to know that there will also be an exhibition titled Moments in a Metropolis (work on paper) and an exhibition of the Pre-Raphaelite work in the collection. Other exhibitions will include African traditional work, pieces from the recently acquired Maritz Collection and work by Mohau Modisakeng, Donna Kukama and William Kentridge. In celebration of the milestone, the South African Mint has released a limited edition range of celebratory medallions to help raise funds for the Friends of JAG, an organisation that lobbies support and raises funds for the gallery. Minted in silver, the two-ounce commemorative sterling-silver medallions depict characteristics of the Lutyens Building's beautiful neo-classical architectural treatments, with impressive sculpture pieces from JAG's collection depicted on the reverse of each. Sculptures depicted include Dumile Feni's Portrait of Chief Albert Luthuli, Bruce Arnott's The Citizen and Eduardo Villa's St Sebastian.