A unique community are slowly but surely creating opportunities for artists in the Free State! At present, they’ve got a fantastic ‘showcase’ going on—40 Artists for 40 Days:
Free State, South Africa (05 June 2024) — While there are incredible creatives from all over our provinces, much of South Africa’s opportunities in the art world lie in Johannesburg and South Africa. Because of the bigger city’s dominance, it can be difficult for artists who can’t relocate to feel they have a shot at following their dreams. But, a unique community from the Free State are slowly but surely flipping the script! At present, they’ve got a fantastic initiative going on—40 Artists for 40 Days.
The Free State Art Collective realised back in 2017 that there was a gap when it came to support for local artists while researching the arts scene in Bloemfontein.
With limited options for art museums and gallery spaces, the result has been a creative drain from provinces like the Free State or artists abandoning their passions.
Hoping to combat this, the Free State Art Collective (founded by Karen Brusch) paved a way for group creatives to come together, work on projects collaboratively and use their collective community to raise funds for their opportunities.
Since the beginning of May, they have been spotlighting their artists via an initiative: 40 Artists for 40 Days.
“All of these artists have studied and/or lived in the Free State in central South Africa; and were specifically chosen because of their unique expression,” the Collective shares.
Many of the artists have achieved wonderful things. From mark-makers like Michele Nigrini, whose ‘Colour Symphony’ still wows folks (it is made up of 300 A4 paintings), to collage poets like Thuthukani ‘TK’ Ndlovu, who combine multidisciplinary skills and Mokoena ‘$kyline’ Mositi whose embroidery artworks combine fashion and thought-provoking sentiments, each has their own creative beat. Their exposure and the 40 Artists for 40 Days spotlight reminds South Africa not to sleep on the Free State, nor the untapped creative potential places beyond Jozi and Cape Town have.
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You can keep up with the artists’ unveilings here.
Sources: Free State Art Collective
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