By Angela Shaw
The KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts (KZNSA) is at the heart of Durban’s vibrant art scene.
It showcases talent and fosters creativity. Without your support, it may have to close.
When many people first visit the KZNSA, they marvel at the hidden gem.
Entering the KZNSA in Glenwood is inspiring. Designed by Cindy Walters and Michel Cohen as their first love project in 1995, the modernist double-volume building connects Bulwer Road to the park above it via a wide stairway running along a slatted wooden screen onto the garden.
It is spacious, generous and beautiful.
Entry is free, and you can enjoy coffee or wine inside or in the outdoor café courtyard under flat crown trees.
A gift shop retails the work of over 300 KZN artisans and designers.
The entrance to the main gallery and four others is just beyond the bar, where various exhibitions are always on display.
A good recent example was the exhibitions, including a group show of 30 Durban artists titled A House is not a Home (without art).
This was a community initiative in which the KZNSA invited Durban artists to exhibit for free.
The response was overwhelming. Another exhibition featured the work of two established Bremen-based German artists, Martin Vosswinkel and Edeltraut Rath.
It celebrated the 25-year relationship between Durban and Bremen, including a residency programme hosting scores of young Durban artists over the years.
Over 200 people attended the opening on a warm Friday evening in June.
Jazz maestro Melvin Peters played the piano while diners enjoyed the Arts Café menu. During the exhibitions, there were talks and walkabouts with the artists and curators — again, all open to the public for free.
The only downside to a hidden gem is raising its profile and overcoming visibility challenges. KZNSA is a passion project for all those involved.
The unfortunate reality for most artists operating in Durban is that they “don’t exist” in the art industry unless seen at national forums. KZN is well known for incubating creative talent but struggles to retain it as there aren’t enough career opportunities for professional artists here.
One way to address these challenges has been to represent Durban artists at national art fairs in Cape Town and Johannesburg, which KZNSA has been doing for five years with rewarding results.
Many local artists have secured international representation and sales as a result. However, the hard reality is that we need funding to provide opportunities to artists. The funding crisis makes it difficult to cover the overheads of our building and keep the doors open.
The KZNSA, founded in 1905 as the Natal Society of Arts, is the country’s second-oldest community arts centre, after the AVA Gallery in Cape Town, founded in 1871.
It is also the only non-profit visual art organisation in Durban.
Its closure would arguably be crushing to KZN’s creative economy and the livelihoods of thousands of artists and crafters.
The cultural and creative industries and the arts and heritage sectors have significant potential to address unemployment and stimulate the economy. A 2022 study by the South African Cultural Observatory put the sector’s total contribution to GDP at 3%, or R161 billion, in 2020.
As a vital visual arts and crafts stakeholder in KZN, the KZNSA is key to the region’s cultural and economic wellbeing.
Please visit KZNSA to enjoy the offering and support us. It is an inspiring place. Engage with us and share our work with your friends and networks. We are a registered non-profit, and donations are tax deductible.
The KZNSA already delivers on multiple social value initiatives and could address your corporate social responsibility criteria. We would happily prepare a proposal to partner with your CSI programme.
Angela is the Executive Director of the KZNSA
