Our two-year-over-due exhibition opened on Thursday 18 August with a riot of colour and creativity. Parents and artists dressed as their favourite works of art. Among us were the likes of Banksy and Queen mum, Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Arnolfini’s bride (about to pop), monobrowed Frida Kahlo’s, Girls with Pearl Earrings, Degas’ Dancer, Jackson Pollock in a stylishly splattered suit, sad clowns, Magritte’s Human Condition and The Kiss, The A-Team identifying as De Stijl and a family of Yayoi Kusama’s.
Affirmation boards praised the artists’ incredible hard work, ‘Let it go’ fire pits helped to clear our cobwebs, The Sketchy portrait stand had queues of commissions, The immortalizing photo booth snapped away and the Marimba band and DJ Zaza held down the beats. Thanks to Eskom we cranked up the generator at 8 pm and the show went on…by torchlight … fires and fun.
The festival continued on Friday with the morning seminar. Elize Vossgatter, an artist who explores the mutation of nature with technology, spoke so eloquently about her journey with material and abstraction. Graphic designer, Xee Summer’s funky patterns and designs blew us away as she shared how Instagramming her daily drawings springboarded her career as a self-employed designer. Svea Josephy, a quirky and inspiring lecturer at UCT’s Michaelis School of Fine Art, spoke about her role as lecturer, administrator and photographic artist.
After our fabulous feast, we broke into groups for the life drawing, printmaking and embroidery workshops that took us to the end of our celebrations. Thanks to all who helped this celebration of Creativity come to light!
