Published 17 April 2023 in The Viewing Room Art Gallery
As of March the 11th, The Viewing Room Art Gallery has been hosting a Saturday Morning Open Air Buyers’ Experience every week. This event brings together artists, art lovers, and collectors to network and talk with each other about all things art. We’ve been fortunate enough to have Thelma van Rensburg, Tasha Mrazek, Sello Letswalo, Sleepy Joe, and Anton Gericke having participated in these events - with more to come!
This idea was brought together for people to see the processes and methods of various artists live! Our local artists bring their studio set-ups to the gallery and spend the day creating, educating, and experiencing others’ art.
At these experiences we see the potential behind young artists, and the support between artists. It’s also an opportunity for amateur artists to display their works, and learn more from experienced creators, to have that space to network and have people to come and look at and appreciate their works. A space where the gallery staff can provide feedback and education - extending what you can do at the gallery and what you can learn in such a diverse space.
This project, we realise, also allows for greater accessibility to the gallery. Visitors come in to watch and interact with the artists, and walk through the gallery space to see the current exhibitions and have conversations with Lucy, Viola, Sammy, and Alecia. We love having the opportunity and space to help the art community in a fun, happy and productive environment.
Talking to Thelma van Rensburg, it was awesome to hear how much she enjoys these mornings. It gives her time to be productive, while providing another and beautiful space to create. To be surrounded by people who love art, who are genuinely interested in what she does and how she goes about her thinking when it comes to what she creates. Her works, mixed media, are created in a free, almost child-like manner. She constantly interacts with her ‘inner-child’, but with years worth of knowledge in art. She sees definite potential in The Viewing Room Art Gallery becoming a space for artists to network, learn, teach, experience, and create a greater following for themselves and the art community in Pretoria.
We hope to continually develop these events into what can become educational, exciting, fun, busy and productive mornings. For collectors to see behind the scenes. For artists to learn from each other. For the gallery to offer feedback and visibility. For all to have a space, beautiful and comfortable, to come together and enjoy a Saturday morning with art.
We are excited to develop and grow these mornings. To have artists and viewers excited to spend a Saturday morning together, having a fun time to end off the week. A time for friends to catch-up, and others to become friends. We are grateful to be able to provide this for the community and even more to have the artists giving of their time to share what they think, do, and create. We appreciate all the effort everyone puts into setting up their studios, to those who have come by, and those who will be coming by soon soon.
- Cassandra Comins
