ArtThrob remembers Zayd Minty
Zayd Minty was a curator, researcher and cultural developer. In the early to mid-nineties, he worked as a coordinator at the Cape Town-based Community Arts Project, as well as for the Human Rights Commission. In 1998, he and a group of arts practitioners formed the collective BLAC, which organised various arts projects throughout the city of Cape Town, including an artists residency programme on Robben Island, seminar series, and arts initiatives such as ‘Returning the Gaze’ (an exhibition as part of the Cape Town One City Festival) and ‘Liberating Zones’ (a series of dialogues about cultural movements of the 1980s). Thereafter, he was head of public programming at the District Six Museum, followed by his work with Creative Cape Town (a partnership with the City of Cape Town) in which Minty drafted the first local cultural policy in Africa for the City of Cape Town and the city’s successful bid to become World Design Capital 2014. He directed and managed the Arts and Culture Department for the City of Cape Town from 2012-2016 and served as a research associate at Wits. The founder of Creative City South, Minty was also the author of several publications. ArtThrob extends its condolences to his family.
Sue Williamson & Lebohang Kganye at Barnes
The Barnes Foundation presents Sue Williamson & Lebohang Kganye: Tell Me What You Remember, an exhibition offering a cross-generational dialogue on history, memory, and the power of self-narration in the context of apartheid and its legacies. On view in the Roberts Gallery from 5 March through 21 May 2023, and curated by Emma Lewis (curator at Turner Contemporary, Margate, England), this exhibition is the most significant presentation of each artist in the US to date, and the first time their work has been presented in dialogue.
Call for arts writers
The African Arts Content agency, a non-profit arts journalism development entity, is running a programme in Cape Town from March to April. It is sponsored by Spier Arts Trust and supported by the AVA gallery. It is intended to benefit two unknown writers and one mid-career one based in this city. The entry-level writers will be mentored by the art commentator, consultant and arts ecosystem researcher Mary Corrigall. The writers will be paid per story and will be expected to produce a minimum of two articles per month which will be published by our media partners. In line with this the articles are aimed at a broad audience and are intended to connect readers to the artists and art featured. Interested writers can send their CVs, a motivation letter and examples of their writing or links to: africanartcontent@gmail.com.
ArtThrob book is published
ArtThrob: 25 Years of Art Writing in South Africa, an edited anthology of our articles from 1997 to 2022, has finally been published. You can order a copy here or pick it up from the Cape Town-based bookstores Clarke’s Books, The Book Lounge, or proto~ A4.