The Artists' Gathering 2018 - Franschhoek

ABOUT

Artists, like all people, need to be encouraged. Visual artists, musicians, actors, those in digital media, and indeed all creatives need perspective about their vital place within the rhythms of contemporary society.  

This is a mini conference which spans three days of lectures and presentations with L’Abri style discussion sessions and time to eat meals in community. Like last year, it promises to inspire and equip both professional and aspirant artists, as well as cast a vision for how art and church could partner in it’s pursuit for serving God’s world.

Dr James Krohn, Marieke Kruger, Franli Meintjes as well as number of practicing artists will address a variety of topics, such as the arts in current society, the role of Christian arts in the church and the aesthetics of everyday life.

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Programme: Friday, 5 Oct 2018

13.00-14.00       LUNCH and registration 

14:00-15:30       Introduction to guest speakers, KRUX centre and each other      Heidi Saltzwedel/Ydi Coetsee

15:30-16.00       COFFEE

16:00-17:00       Introduction to the literature available on Christianity and the Arts         James Krohn

17:00-18.30       DINNER              

18.30-20:00       Biblical Art/ Art and its discontents - An Exploration of Hermeneutics and uses in Contemporary Christian Images          Maryke van Velden

Programme Saturday 6 oct 2018

08:30   COFFEE

09:00  Introduction and welcome          

09:15-10:45       Artist presentation          Marieke Kruger

10:45-11:00       TEA       

11:00-12:30       How can the church and artists serve each other              James Krohn

12:30-14:00       LUNCH 

14:00-15:30       The Architecture of Light: Dark Waters, Hebrew Poetry and the Artist's Eternal Calling     Gideon Nel

15:30-16:30   COFFEE

16:30 -18:00      Feedback from the 37th European Christian Artists Seminar in Doorn, The Netherlands       Heidi Salzwedel

18:00-19:00       DINNER

19:00-20:30       Artist presentation: Some insight and concepts explored in the solo exhibition - Possible Impossibilities               Franli Meintjes

20:30-21:00    Wrapping up and hot chocolate

Programme Sunday 7 oct 2018              

08:30 Arrival and coffee           

09:00-10:30    Orbits of Relating - An invitation to embrace contemporary art      Chris Soal

10:30-11:30       Sunday tea time              

11:30-13:00       Feedback on the 40 Stones in a wall exhibition at Grahamstown National Arts Festival              Jonathan Griffiths + Eben Lochner

13:00    Wrapping up and ending              James Krohn

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Dr James Krohn is a theological educator, former pastor, and current founder of the Krux Centre for Christianity and Culture.

Marieke Kruger is an established artist as well as teacher. Her first solo exhibition entitled “A Holy War” took place at the Civic Gallery (1998, Johannesburg, partial requirement for Masters studies) and was followed with several other solo shows – such as “To a Promised Land” at the Bell-Roberts gallery, (August 2006) and a collaborative exhibition with the ceramicist, Dr Ralph Johnson entitled “Journeys” at the Grande Provence Gallery in Franschhoek (March 2007). These solo shows were followed with another solo exhibition at the ABSA Gallery in Johannesburg, entitled “About Face I” (February 2009) and a follow up solo show entitled “About Face II” was held at the Art-b Gallery in Belville during August 2009. In 2011 she was accepted to study for a second Masters degree in Visual art, specializing in drawing, at the University of Stellenbosch. She recently successfully completed this degree with a solo exhibition entitled “Reflecting Self” of my drawings as partial requirement towards obtaining the degree, at the Equus Gallery, Cavalli Estate in October/November 2014. She currently works as a visual artist and lecturer of drawing and printmaking at the Jack Meyer Art Centre in Paarl, South Africa.  

Franli Meintjes completed her BA fine Arts degree in 2004 at the University of the Free State and is working as a full-time visual artist since 2012. Meintjes’s work has been selected for three consecutive years and placed in the Top 10 of the 2013 and 2014 Absa L’ Atelier Art Competition and she has exhibited in numerous Absa group shows: Post-Colonial Africa - KKNK 2014, Re-working the Still - Vryfees Bloemfontein 2014, The Confessional – KKNK & Absa Gallery Johannesburg 2017. Meintjes’s artworks were included in three group exhibitions curated by Found Collective namely Fix - 012 Central Pretoria CBD 2016, Urban Impressions - Aardklop 2016 & Fried Contemporary Gallery 2017 as well as Snake Eyes 2.0 - Aardklop 2017. She also participated in a collaboration with Liberty Battson with their exhibition Inside Out at the KKNK 2017. Furthermore her artworks made it into the Top 100 of the 2015 and 2017 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition and the 2014 and 2017 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Award Exhibition. In December 2017 she was invited to take part in the launch exhibition of the National Art Bank at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum and also exhibited at the Association of Arts Pretoria’s Annual Ceramic Plate Exhibition 2017.  

Chris Soal (b. 1994) is an emerging artist living and practicing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Chris Soal graduated from the University of Witwatersrand with a Bachelors in Fine Art (Honours) in 2017. He works as a cinematographer at the Centre for the Less Good Idea, founded by South African-born internationally renowned artist William Kentridge, and as a writer on art and culture for Bubblegum Club, and as an artist in his own capacity. His work was exhibited at the Johannesburg, Turbine Art Fair, 13 – 16 July 2017 where he was Represented by No End Contemporary. He was part of the top 30 of the Taxi Art Foundation Award 2017 and most recently was awarded 1st price in the 2018 PPC imaginarium competition.

Heidi Salzwedel is one of the founders of the art collective 40 Stones in the Wall, and is an artist and art educator. She holds a Masters in Visual Art (Arts Education) from Stellenbosch University. 

Ydi Coetsee is a practicing fine artist and follower of L'Abri Fellowship, holding a Masters in Visual Arts (fine arts) at Stellenbosch University. 

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VENUE: Our partner EAST MOUNTAIN is unfortunately unable to host us this year, but the leadership of Franschhoek Shofar kindly lent us their venue. For directions see below.

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FAQs

1) How can I pay my R375 (Full weekend, including all meals) / R150 (Friday / Saturday meals) / R75 (Sunday tea time)?

You can use quicket to pay for the event, or you may make payment via EFT.

If using EFT please use the account below with your name and surname as reference:

Capitac bank

Arts conference

Account Number: 1530643846

Account Type: Savings Account

Branch Code: 470010

• Kindly let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements

2) What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

The directions to Shofar Head Quarters, 7 Lambrecht street, Franschhoek, 7690

From Stellenbosch

take Helshoogte Rd R45 to Pniel, turn right onto R45 towards Franschhoek. Continue on this road through the town till you reach a 3 way stop in front of the Franschhoek monument, turn left and find Shofar Church on your right hand side. Head Quarters is the building behind the church building.

From Cape Town

take N1 to Paarl, continue on N1 and take exit 47 for R44 toward Stellenbosch/R101/Klapmuts/Wellington, turn right onto R44, turn left onto Klapmuts - Simondium Rd, turn right onto Franschhoek Rd R45, continue to follow R45 for 26km, keep on until you reach the 3 way stop in front of the Franschhoek monument, turn left and find Shofar Church on your right hand side. Head Quarters is the building behind the church building.

Parking spaces will be available, but might be limited on Sunday morning due to the church service taking place in the church building. To carpool / catch a lift from Stellenbosch contact Karla - 082 377 7770 / from Cape Town contact Heidi - 082 578 4484

3) What can I bring to the event?

• Notebook/pen/tablet
• Please bring along your artworks to share with peers. It might be the physical artworks or images on your memory stick. This can be a painting, drawing, a poem, a song, a design portfolio, a book/publication/children's book/ sculptural piece or any other work.

4) Who can I contact if I have any questions?

You can contact Ydi Coetsee at

0846688616

DIRECTIONS