By Kate Crane Briggs
For art and design tours in Cape Town, open to the public, Kate Crane Briggs curates a programme of regular events. The groups are small, and led by experts from a range of backgrounds but, as it turns out, mainly women.
Last night, the last day of South Africa’s women’s month (31 Aug), art collector and property lawyer, Lizelle Kilbourne, showed us round an exhibition of mainly mid 20th century South African modern works owned mainly by her and her husband (Frank) and Charlotte Schachat who with her husband, ran an influential gallery, Die Kunskamer. It was at the 17th century Cape Dutch homestead in Gardens, Welgemeend. The exhibition was sponsored by art auctioneers, Strauss, Frank is the chairman but most of the people who work there are women.
Kate leads street art walks both in the centre of Cape Town and in the neighbourhood nearby, Salt River. They are generally two a month, open to the public on set days, as well as private tours commissioned by clients, such as tourists via Artroute. The next public ones are 7 Sept for central Cape Town and for Salt River: 3 & 23 Sept, 19 & 23 Oct, 17 & 26 Nov and 14 Dec. The cost is R250 early bird payment per person, otherwise R350. They are 10am to noon, except for 17 Nov 5:15pm which includes a free Gin and Tonic at the Hope Distillery.
For a tour of art just by women, head to Bellville, to the new exhibition HER at Sanlam’s art gallery. Modern and contemporary, well known and emerging, sculpture, paintings – the curator, Stefan Hundt, will host Kate’s group on Sat 8 Oct, 10am to noon, as well as giving us a quick tour of their large art store and the art in the directors’ suites. R250 each paying in good time. Here is the link: https://blog.sanlam.co.za/her-sanlam-art-gallery-bellville/
With spring coming, and if gardens are more your thing, on Tues, 6 Sept, landscape architect, Clare Burgess, will be leading a tour with Kate in the hugely popular, Green Point Urban Park, a legacy project of the 2010 soccer world cup – the stadium is next to the park. Marijke Honig was one of the designers of The Biodiversity Showcase Garden; some of the artwork is by female 10am to noon, R250 paying asap, otherwise R350 each.
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, just outside Stellenbosch, is a must! Kate has organized for art expert with a superb knowledge of plants, Hanle Hill, to led a tour on Sat 10 Sept. Hanle was involved from the beginning of the Garden ten years ago, and was born on the farm next door. She regularly leads private tours there.
Here is the link to the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden Website: https://www.dylanlewis.com/garden/about-the-garden
On Sat 22 Oct, 10am to noon, Sandy Ovenstone will guide us around her incredible garden, Stellenberg, established over many decades. Around their old Cape Dutch farm home, are 16 ‘’rooms’’ with their own identity but all with a sense of calm and grace. See the Stellenberg Garden website here: https://www.stellenberggardens.co.za/
To join or for more info please contact Kate directly [email protected] +27 (0)72 377 8014; she has a monthly newsletter you may like too.
Kate leads Artroute’s architectural, art and Ellerman House tours