OLIEWENHUIS ART MUSEUM

Vision Oliewenhuis Art Museum is an Art Museum which holds in trust an historical and contemporary art collection of South African art on behalf of the people of South Africa. We aim to enrich the people’s knowledge, understanding and appreciation of our cultural heritage, to reflect its full diversity, to provide a cultural and educational resource, to encourage involvement in the visual arts and nurture a culturally diverse but shared national identity.

Historical Background Oliewenhuis Art Museum is housed in a NeoDutch style mansion, completed in 1941, which served as residence for the Governor General of the Union of South Africa.

The building was converted in 1985 into an Art Museum as a satellite of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture.

Permanent Collection Oliewenhuis Art Museum is committed to building a representative collection of South African visual art and has shown a steady and interesting growth in its collection as South Africa has produced a number of celebrated artists whose works have become highly regarded both locally and abroad. The Permanent Collection currently comprises 1467 works of art in total.

A selection of artworks from the Permanent Collection exhibited on the first floor of the Main Building showcases a diverse range of styles and media. The Permanent Collection is devoted exclusively to works produced by South African artists and has a solid foundation of early South African artists, including works by Thomas Baines, J.E.A

Volschenk, J.H. Pierneef and W.H. Coetzer. The Museum continues expanding its collection of works by contemporary South African artists.

Temporary Exhibitions Various temporary exhibitions are hosted in the Art Museum galleries, including the unique underground Reservoir gallery. Every attempt is made to provide excellent exhibition spaces for artists to showcase their work and to enrich the public’s knowledge, understanding and appreciation of our cultural heritage and to reflect the full diversity of South African art. Exhibition highlights for 2019, include the annual Free State exhibition of the Art Bank of South Africa, Tswela Pele: New Acquisitions of the Art Bank of South Africa, Gordon Froud’s, Harmonia: Sacred Geometry, the pattern of existence, Centennial, A Century of South African Art from the SANLAM Art Collection exhibition, Cedric Nunn’s photographic exhibition, Blood Relatives and Jodi Bieber’s public art poster campaign #i.

The Sculpture Park At the end of 2003, Oliewenhuis Art Museum received funding from the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund to launch and to coordinate a Sculpture Park Project. Sculptors residing and working in South Africa were invited to submit proposals for consideration for the execution and erection of sculptures to be permanently installed in the Museum gardens. The Sculpture Park, comprising twelve sculptures, was officially opened on 7 May 2005 and provides an environment that allows for an almost per-chance encounter with three-dimensional form and demonstrates how a public space can be successfully created to the benefit of the surroundings and the people it serves.

The African Carousel The African Carousel is a public sculpture commission comprising 16 original artworks. It is a safe and fully functioning carousel where myth, fantasy and music, derived from many of the cultural traditions of the people of Southern Africa, come together. The focus of the African Carousel is to introduce children to the concept of art in an unintimidating, fun way and in so doing, to build an audience for the future. The original project had its beginnings in 1994 and took approximately three years to complete.

The Cement and Mosaic Project The Cement and Mosaic Project, comprising five functional sculptures created by 14 unemployed Mangaung residents, is an attraction for both young and old.

The Reservoir In the back garden an underground water reservoir, dating from the early 1900s, has been converted into a distinctive exhibition space after a chance discovery. During the planning phase of the African Carousel at Oliewenhuis Art Museum in 1994, a site plan of the back garden was requested from the Department of Public Works. An underground construction north of the main building was indicated on the plan; the only access to the area was via a manhole. On further investigation a large underground reservoir was discovered containing approximately half a metre of water.

Above:Isolde Krams, Fish out of water, Fiberglas forms part of the Sculpture Park. Right: The Reservoir interior

Exhibition view of the 31st Annual Sophia Gray Memorial Exhibition: in[de]finite by Jon Jacobson

Above: The Frog Slide, designed by Sikhumbuzo Wesley Tokwana forms part of the Cement and Mosaic Project. Opposite Page: Wilma Cruise, Sheep may safely graze, the return of the Bloemfontein sheep (2004 - 2005), ceramic, forms part of the Sculpture Park.

The transformation of the underground reservoir in the Museum garden into an exhibition space began in 1996 and the project was completed in November 2002. The Reservoir is used for temporary art exhibitions and is also a popular venue for weddings and other functions.

Education Oliewenhuis endeavours to promote the essential educational function that the arts play in the development of creative and intellectual abilities by means of exhibitions and associated walkabouts by artists and curators, lectures, workshops and guided tours. In an ongoing commitment to nurture and encourage the development of local artistic talent, the Museum hosts learning sessions for local artists, school groups, students and disadvantaged communities. Education services include access, by appointment, to the research library in the main building. This library offers a comprehensive collection of art books, art catalogues, DVDs, periodicals, news clippings and journals with a special emphasis on South African art.

Restaurant The restaurant at Oliewenhuis, The Terrace, overlooks views of the Museum’s surroundings and the Sculpture Park. It provides both indoor seating and an outdoor terrace where delightful breakfasts and freshly prepared lunches are served. Sunday Lunch buffets are also available for the whole family. The Terrace also caters for functions on the Museum’s premises.

Contact The Terrace @ Oliewenhuis at 060 726 1719.

Walking Trails Situated on 12 hectares of natural vegetation on Grant’s Hill, Oliewenhuis Art Museum offers access to marked walking trails through the unspoilt natural surrounding areas. The walking trials are easily accessible to young and old and offer a unique opportunity to experience the wild beauty and tranquillity.

Zet Labyrinth This labyrinth was gifted to the Oliewenhuis Art Museum by Zarine Roodt and dedicated

School group guided tour of the African Carousel.

on 7 September 2018. The Zet Labyrinth is a 7-circuit Medieval design based on the labyrinth laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France around 1220 CE. Walking the labyrinth is a form of meditation as its design facilitates calm and contemplation.

Fossilised Trees Fossilised Glossopteris trees are abundant in the Senekal District of the Free State where a tree trunk was found during an Ecological Impact Assessment, conducted in an area intended for building construction. The 9-metre long, well-preserved fossil was recovered and donated to the National Museum, and is now displayed in front of Oliewenhuis Art Museum. This fossilised or petrified tree lived about 260 million years ago during the Middle to Late Permian Period

Visiting Hours and contact details Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein, and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00. Entrance is free and secure parking is available to visitors and for buses. A ramp provides access for wheel chairs at the main entrance, while a lift provides access to the Permanent Collection display areas on the first floor.

Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all upcoming exhibitions and events. For more information please contact Oliewenhuis Art Museum at 051 011 0525 (ext 200) or oliewen@nasmus.co.za.