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{{EngvarB|date=February 2019}}
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{{infobox Museum
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
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|name= Johannesburg Art Gallery
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{{infobox museum
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|image= 9 2 228 0069-Art Gallery2-Johannesburg-s.jpg
|caption = Entrance of Johannesburg Art Gallery
| name = Johannesburg Art Gallery
| logo =
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|established= 1910
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| image = 9 2 228 0069-Art Gallery2-Johannesburg-s.jpg
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|location= Klein and King George streets, [[Joubert Park]], [[Johannesburg]]
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| caption = Entrance of Johannesburg Art Gallery
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|type = [[Art Museum]]
| image_upright = 1
|visitors=
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| established = 1910
|curator= Antoinette Murdoch
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| location = Klein and King George streets, [[Joubert Park]], [[Johannesburg]]
|website=
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| type = [[Art Museum]]
|pushpin_map = South Africa
| curator = Khwezi Gule
|map_caption = Location within Johannesburg
| mapframe-zoom = 13
|coordinates = {{coord|-26.197039|28.047104|region:sa_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|-26.197039|28.047104|region:sa_type:landmark|display=it}}
| website = {{URL|https://friendsofjag.org/}}
}}
}}


The '''Johannesburg Art Gallery''' (JAG) is an [[art gallery]] in [[Joubert Park]] in the city centre of [[Johannesburg]], South Africa. Recent reports indicate that the Gallery is potentially facing a spiral of rapid decline or institutional destruction. A civil society group and volunteer organisation called [[Friends of JAG]] has been formed to help ensure "the Johannesburg Art Gallery can maintain its collection of [[Pablo Picasso|Picassos]] and [[Auguste Rodin|Rodins]], [[Gerard Sekoto|Sekotos]] and [[Pierneef|Pierneefs]]."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keun |first1=Eben |title=Friends of JAG |url=https://friendsofjag.org/about |website=Friends of Jag |access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref>This deterioration has continued unabated since the collapse of a roofing section in 2017 due to poor maintenance. According to various media reports, the accelerated decline is due to 'inaction, corruption and theft' in the [[City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Electoral Commission |first1=Independent |title=Election Results |url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/ |website=IEC Election Results |publisher=IEC |access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Patrick |first1=Alex |title=Art attack: Damaged, leaking Joburg Art Gallery displays empty cabinets and bare walls |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/art-attack-damaged-leaking-joburg-art-gallery-displays-empty-cabinets-and-bare-walls-20241121#google_vignette |access-date=23 November 2024 |agency=News24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kayser-Echeozonjoku |first1=Belinda |title=DA blocked from oversight at Joburg Art Gallery |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/documents/da-blocked-from-oversight-at-joburg-art-gallery |access-date=23 November 2024 |agency=DA}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Talevi |first1=Giulietta |title=How inaction, corruption and theft in the City of Joburg are destroying Africa’s most valuable art collection |url=https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/how-inaction-corruption-and-theft-in-the-city-of-joburg-are-destroying-africa-s-most-valuable-art-collection/ar-AA1ugHeH |access-date=23 November 2024 |agency=Daily Maverick}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Associated |first1=Press |title=A top African art gallery struggles to keep its footing |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/arts-culture/2017/06/05/a-top-african-art-gallery-struggles-to-keep-its-footing}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Krishna |first1=Swapna |title=A Leaky Roof Has Forced the Johannesburg Art Gallery to Temporarily Close |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leaky-roof-forced-johannesburg-art-gallery-temporarily-close-180962228/ |website=Smithsonian Mag |publisher=Smithsonian |access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref>
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Inside Joburg Art Gallery.jpg|thumb|right|Inside the Johannesburg Art Gallery building - Retrospective of Mslaba Dumile-Feni Exhibition, Curated by Prince Dube.]]-->The '''Johannesburg Art Gallery''' is an [[art gallery]] in [[Joubert Park]] in the central business district of [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]. It is the largest gallery on the subcontinent with a collection that is larger than that of the Iziko South African National Art Gallery in Cape Town. <ref>{{cite web|title=An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg |url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=51|website=City of Johannesburg|accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref>


It was once the largest gallery on the continent with a collection of more than 9000 artworks. The gallery collection is larger than that of the [[Iziko South African National Gallery]] in Cape Town.<ref>{{cite web|title=An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=51|website=City of Johannesburg|access-date=15 April 2016|archive-date=11 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511170835/https://joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=51|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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The building, which was completed in 1915, was designed by [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]], with [[Robert Howden]] working as supervising architect, and consists of 15 exhibition halls and sculpture gardens. It houses collections of 17th-century Dutch paintings, 18th- and 19th-century British and European art, 19th-century South African works, a large contemporary collection of 20th-century local and international art, and a print cabinet containing works from the 15th century to the present.

⚫
The building, which was completed in 1915, was designed by [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]], with [[Robert Howden (architect)|Robert Howden]] working as supervising architect, and consists of 15 exhibition halls and sculpture gardens. It houses collections of 17th-century Dutch paintings, 18th- and 19th-century British and European art, 19th-century South African works, a large contemporary collection of 20th-century local and international art, and a print cabinet containing works from the 15th century to the present.


== Collection ==
== Collection ==
[[Image:Boldini - Florence, Lady Phillips.jpg|thumb|left|Florence, Lady Phillips by 1903 Oil on canvas 193 x 155&nbsp;cm by [[Giovanni Boldini]]
[[Image:Boldini - Florence, Lady Phillips.jpg|thumb|left|Florence, Lady Phillips by 1903 Oil on canvas 193 x 155&nbsp;cm by [[Giovanni Boldini]]
(1842–1931) Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane]]
(1842–1931) Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane]]
The initial collection was put together by [[Sir Hugh Lane]], and exhibited in London in 1910 before being brought to South Africa. [[Florence, Lady Phillips]], an art collector and wife of mining magnate [[Lionel Phillips]], established the first gallery collection using funds donated by her husband.<ref>[http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/africa/south-africa/johannesburg/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654613869 Johannesburg Art Gallery - Reviews and Ratings of Sights in Johannesburg - New York Times Travel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Lady Phillips donated her lace collection and arranged for her husband to donate seven oil paintings and a Rodin sculpture to the collection. Some other small water drawings that collected through various Galleries thought to be less valuable and have being sold for collecting funds during the late 1950's and 1960's .
The initial collection was put together by [[Sir Hugh Lane]], and exhibited in London in 1910 before being brought to South Africa. [[Florence, Lady Phillips]], an art collector and wife of mining magnate [[Lionel Phillips]], established the first gallery collection using funds donated by her husband.<ref>[http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/africa/south-africa/johannesburg/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654613869 Johannesburg Art Gallery – Reviews and Ratings of Sights in Johannesburg – New York Times Travel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Lady Phillips donated her lace collection and arranged for her husband to donate seven oil paintings and a Rodin sculpture to the collection. Some other small water drawings that collected through various Galleries thought to be less valuable and have being sold for collecting funds during the late 1950s and 1960s .


In 1940, Johannesburg Art Gallery became the first South African gallery to purchase a work of art by a black artist, acquiring [https://www.wikiart.org/en/gerard-sekoto/yellow-houses-a-street-in-sophiatown-1940 Yellow Houses] by [[Gerard Sekoto]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Gerard Sekoto Foundation {{!}} The Artist {{!}} Gerard Sekoto's Life|url=https://www.gerardsekotofoundation.com/artist-overview.htm|access-date=2020-06-04|website=www.gerardsekotofoundation.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Restored Gerard Sekoto Paintings|url=https://friendsofjag.org/news-stories/2016/11/8/restored-gerard-sekoto-paintings|access-date=2020-06-04|website=friendsofjag.org|language=en-US}}</ref> Since then, it has increasingly sought to address the colonial imbalances of its collection.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-02|title=The custodian: Khwezi Gule|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2018-03-02-00-the-custodian-khwezi-gule/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=The Mail & Guardian|language=en-ZA}}</ref>
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The current collection includes works by [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Camille Pissarro]], [[Claude Monet]], [[Edgar Degas]], [[Herbert Ward (sculptor)|Herbert Ward]] and [[Henry Moore]], and South Africans such as [[Gerard Sekoto]], [[Walter Battiss]], [[Alexis Preller]], [[Maud Sumner]], [[Sydney Kumalo]], [[Ezrom Legae]] and [[Pierneef]]. It also houses an extensive collection of the work of contemporary local artists.

⚫
The current collection includes works by [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Camille Pissarro]], [[Claude Monet]], [[Edgar Degas]], [[Herbert Ward (sculptor)|Herbert Ward]] and [[Henry Moore]], and South Africans such as [[Gerard Sekoto]], [[Walter Battiss]], [[Alexis Preller]], [[Maud Sumner]], [[Sydney Kumalo]], [[Ezrom Legae]] and [[Pierneef]]. It also houses an extensive collection of the work of contemporary local artists. The works of black artists were acquired for the first time from the late 1980s.<ref name=maverick/>


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:William Orpen A Bitter Curacao.jpg|thumb|right|180px|''A bitter Curaçao'' by [[William Orpen]], 1900.]]
[[File:William Orpen A Bitter Curacao.jpg|thumb|right|180px|''A bitter Curaçao'' by [[William Orpen]], 1900.]]
The Johannesburg Art Gallery collection was opened to the public in 1910, before the gallery itself had been built, and was housed at the [[University of the Witwatersrand]]. The architect, [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]], came to South Africa in 1910 to examine the site and begin the designs, after Lady Florence Phillips had secured funding from the city for a purpose-built museum. The building was built with a south-facing entrance, but was not completed according to the architect's designs—no part of the museum was broken down to let in the light. It was opened to the public, without ceremony, in 1915, just after the start of the First World War. The gallery was extended during the 1940s with east-west wings along the south galleries according to the Lutyens' design. The present north facade and galleries, constructed during the 1986–87 extension were designed by [[Meyer Pienaar and Associates]].<ref>Jillian Carman ''Uplifting the Colonial Philistine: Florence Phillips and the making of the Johannesburg Art Gallery'' 2006 Johannesburg: Wits University Press {{ISBN|1-86814-436-4}}</ref><ref>[http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/340/51/ City of Johannesburg - An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The Johannesburg Art Gallery collection was opened to the public in 1910, before the gallery itself had been built, and was housed at the [[University of the Witwatersrand]]. The architect, [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]], came to South Africa in 1910 to examine the site and begin the designs, after Lady Florence Phillips had secured funding from the city for a purpose-built museum. The building was built with a south-facing entrance, but was not completed according to the architect's designs—no part of the museum was broken down to let in the light. It was opened to the public, without ceremony, in 1915, just after the start of the First World War. The gallery was extended during the 1940s with east–west wings along the south galleries according to the Lutyens' design. The present north facade and galleries, constructed during the 1986–87 extension were designed by [[Meyer Pienaar and Associates]].<ref>Jillian Carman ''Uplifting the Colonial Philistine: Florence Phillips and the making of the Johannesburg Art Gallery'' 2006 Johannesburg: Wits University Press {{ISBN|1-86814-436-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/340/51/ |title=City of Johannesburg – An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=24 December 2007 |archive-date=8 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208175131/http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/340/51/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


In recent years the building has been poorly maintained, with many gallery halls closed and notable artworks removed from display.<ref name=maverick>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Julia |date=2022-03-31 |title=PICTURE OF DECAY: Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-01-joburg-art-gallery-is-crumbling-into-rack-and-ruin/ |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, the [[Nicky Oppenheimer|Oppenheimer]] family moved their collection from the deteriorating gallery to the [[Brenthurst Library]].<ref>[https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/life/art/2023-06-22-oppenheimers-save-african-art-from-crumbling-johannesburg-art-gallery/ Oppenheimers save African art from crumbling Johannesburg Art Gallery] ''Business Live''. 22 June 2023</ref>
== Regeneration ==
As a major focus of urban regeneration programmes, the gallery provides the base for the Joubert Park Public Art Project and is developing links with awareness groups and community centres based in the surrounding urban area.


== Chief curators ==
== Citizen engagement ==
The Johannesburg art gallery has been a major focus of urban regeneration programmes, used to provide the base for the Joubert Park Public Art Project<ref>{{Cite book|last=Minty, Zayd, 1966- |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/841096216|title=Public art projects in post-apartheid South Africa: visual culture, creative spaces and postcolonial geographies|oclc=841096216}}</ref> (JPP) . The JPP contributed to the artistic, cultural and social development of the Joubert Park precinct,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Staff |date=2001-07-20 |title=Joubert Park to host a major urban renewal project |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2001-07-20-joubert-park-to-host-a-major-urban-renewal-project/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> while developing links with community centres based in the surrounding area. The Friends of JAG have also lobbied to support & raise funds for Johannesburg Art Gallery,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Friends of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) |url=https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/organisation/friends-johannesburg-art-gallery-jag |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=www.theheritageportal.co.za}}</ref> and assist with running activities and educational programmes, intended "to nourish the roots of culture".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-15 |title=#friendsofjag |url=https://friendsofjag.org/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=friendsofjag.org |language=en-US}}</ref>


There are growing concerns about [[City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality]]'s poor maintenance of the [[Edwin Lutyens|Lutyens]] building, combined with deteriorating gallery conditions, such as water leaks and a lack of temperature control. This has caused concerns about the deterioration of "valuable and culturally significant art".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Julia |date=2022-03-31 |title=Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-01-joburg-art-gallery-is-crumbling-into-rack-and-ruin/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> Calls to shift the art collection from the city has been made,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sonnekus |first=Simon |title=Call to move art from Joburg Art Gallery to preserve priceless works |url=https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/call-to-move-art-from-joburg-art-gallery-to-preserve-priceless-works-20240901 |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=City Press |language=en-US}}</ref> and a demand, from the [[Johannesburg Heritage Foundation]] and the Friends of JAG, to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, to respect their mandate of care for both the JAG building and the art collection therein, has been issued<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Johannesburg Heritage |title=Letter of Demand issued over Johannesburg Art Gallery |url=https://joburgheritage.org.za/letter-of-demand-issued-over-johannesburg-art-gallery/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
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* P Anton Hendriks (1937 - 1964)
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* Nel Erasmus (1964 - 1977)
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* Pat Senior (1977-1983)
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* Christopher Till (1983 -1991)
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* Rochelle Keene (1991 - 2003)
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* Clive Kellner (2004 - 2008) <ref>{{cite web|title=Clive Kellner heads off from JAG|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3331&Itemid=193|website=City of Johannesburg|accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref>
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* Antoinette Murdoch (2009 - January 2017) <ref>{{cite web|title=The JAG gets a new curator|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3593&Itemid=193|website=City of Johannesburg|accessdate=15 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="AT_AM_resign">{{cite web | url= http://arttimes.co.za/left-jag-antoinette-murdoch/ | title= Why I Left JAG – Antoinette Murdoch | accessdate=8 April 2017}}</ref>
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* Musha Nehuleni (acting curator, January 2017 - present)<ref name="Nehuleni">{{cite web | url= http://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/but-no-one-goes-there-any-more-8152765 | title= But no one goes there any more, Joburg Art Gallery needs a new lease of life, Gabriel Crouse | accessdate=8 April 2017}}</ref>


== Thefts ==
== Chief curators ==
⚫
* P Anton Hendriks (1937–1964)
* June 2002 ''St Thomas'' by [[El Greco]].
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* Nel Erasmus (1964–1977)
* August 2002 ''Suitcase'' by [[Kendell Geers]]. Sculpture recovered in a damaged state.
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* Pat Senior (1977–1983)
* 1990s ''Talion'' by [[Gavin Younge]]. This large cast-bronze sculpture was commissioned by the gallery as part of its centenary celebrations in 1986. Thieves stole it by cutting bits off using a portable generator and an angle grinder fitted with a metal-cutting disc. Despite an insurance payout, the gallery never recast the missing sections.
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* Christopher Till (1983–1991)
* January 2011 ''General Hoche'' by [[Jules Dalou]].
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* Rochelle Keene (1991–2003)
*September 2011 ''Mourning Woman'' by [[Sydney Kumalo]], ''Peter Pan'' by [[Romano Romanelli]] and ''King of the Universe'' by [[Ernest Ullman]].
⚫
* Clive Kellner (2004–2008)<ref>{{cite web|title=Clive Kellner heads off from JAG|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3331&Itemid=193|website=City of Johannesburg|access-date=15 April 2016|archive-date=11 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511164559/https://joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3331&Itemid=193|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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* Antoinette Murdoch (2009 – January 2017)<ref>{{cite web|title=The JAG gets a new curator|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3593&Itemid=193|website=City of Johannesburg|access-date=15 April 2016|archive-date=11 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511171459/https://joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3593&Itemid=193|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="AT_AM_resign">{{cite web | url= http://arttimes.co.za/left-jag-antoinette-murdoch/ | title= Why I Left JAG – Antoinette Murdoch | access-date= 8 April 2017 | archive-date= 7 July 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180707041412/http://arttimes.co.za/left-jag-antoinette-murdoch/ | url-status= dead }}</ref>
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* Musha Nehuleni (acting curator, January 2017 – December 2018)<ref name="Nehuleni">{{cite web | url= http://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/but-no-one-goes-there-any-more-8152765 | title= But no one goes there any more, Joburg Art Gallery needs a new lease of life, Gabriel Crouse | access-date=8 April 2017}}</ref>
* Khwezi Gule (2019–present) <ref>https://joburg.org.za/media_/Newsroom/Pages/2023%20News%20Articles/February/Gule-and-team-passionately-rebuilding-the-JAG-to-preserve-our-past.aspx</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{commonscat}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
*{{cite web |title=Johannesburg Art Gallery |ref=none |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/johannesburg-art-gallery |publisher=artsandculture.google.com}}
*{{commons category-inline}}

{{Greater Johannesburg|culture}}
{{authority control}}


[[Category:Museums in Johannesburg]]
[[Category:Museums in Johannesburg]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in South Africa]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in South Africa]]
[[Category:Art museums established in 1915]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries established in 1910]]
[[Category:1915 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:Works of Edwin Lutyens]]
[[Category:Works of Edwin Lutyens]]

Latest revision as of 13:06, 10 December 2024

Johannesburg Art Gallery
Entrance of Johannesburg Art Gallery
Map
Established1910
LocationKlein and King George streets, Joubert Park, Johannesburg
Coordinates26°11′49″S 28°02′50″E / 26.197039°S 28.047104°E / -26.197039; 28.047104
TypeArt Museum
CuratorKhwezi Gule
Websitefriendsofjag.org

The Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) is an art gallery in Joubert Park in the city centre of Johannesburg, South Africa. Recent reports indicate that the Gallery is potentially facing a spiral of rapid decline or institutional destruction. A civil society group and volunteer organisation called Friends of JAG has been formed to help ensure "the Johannesburg Art Gallery can maintain its collection of Picassos and Rodins, Sekotos and Pierneefs."[1]This deterioration has continued unabated since the collapse of a roofing section in 2017 due to poor maintenance. According to various media reports, the accelerated decline is due to 'inaction, corruption and theft' in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

It was once the largest gallery on the continent with a collection of more than 9000 artworks. The gallery collection is larger than that of the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town.[8]

The building, which was completed in 1915, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with Robert Howden working as supervising architect, and consists of 15 exhibition halls and sculpture gardens. It houses collections of 17th-century Dutch paintings, 18th- and 19th-century British and European art, 19th-century South African works, a large contemporary collection of 20th-century local and international art, and a print cabinet containing works from the 15th century to the present.

Collection

[edit]
Florence, Lady Phillips by 1903 Oil on canvas 193 x 155 cm by Giovanni Boldini (1842–1931) Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane

The initial collection was put together by Sir Hugh Lane, and exhibited in London in 1910 before being brought to South Africa. Florence, Lady Phillips, an art collector and wife of mining magnate Lionel Phillips, established the first gallery collection using funds donated by her husband.[9] Lady Phillips donated her lace collection and arranged for her husband to donate seven oil paintings and a Rodin sculpture to the collection. Some other small water drawings that collected through various Galleries thought to be less valuable and have being sold for collecting funds during the late 1950s and 1960s .

In 1940, Johannesburg Art Gallery became the first South African gallery to purchase a work of art by a black artist, acquiring Yellow Houses by Gerard Sekoto.[10][11] Since then, it has increasingly sought to address the colonial imbalances of its collection.[12]

The current collection includes works by Auguste Rodin, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Herbert Ward and Henry Moore, and South Africans such as Gerard Sekoto, Walter Battiss, Alexis Preller, Maud Sumner, Sydney Kumalo, Ezrom Legae and Pierneef. It also houses an extensive collection of the work of contemporary local artists. The works of black artists were acquired for the first time from the late 1980s.[13]

History

[edit]
A bitter Curaçao by William Orpen, 1900.

The Johannesburg Art Gallery collection was opened to the public in 1910, before the gallery itself had been built, and was housed at the University of the Witwatersrand. The architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, came to South Africa in 1910 to examine the site and begin the designs, after Lady Florence Phillips had secured funding from the city for a purpose-built museum. The building was built with a south-facing entrance, but was not completed according to the architect's designs—no part of the museum was broken down to let in the light. It was opened to the public, without ceremony, in 1915, just after the start of the First World War. The gallery was extended during the 1940s with east–west wings along the south galleries according to the Lutyens' design. The present north facade and galleries, constructed during the 1986–87 extension were designed by Meyer Pienaar and Associates.[14][15]

In recent years the building has been poorly maintained, with many gallery halls closed and notable artworks removed from display.[13] In 2023, the Oppenheimer family moved their collection from the deteriorating gallery to the Brenthurst Library.[16]

Citizen engagement

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The Johannesburg art gallery has been a major focus of urban regeneration programmes, used to provide the base for the Joubert Park Public Art Project[17] (JPP) . The JPP contributed to the artistic, cultural and social development of the Joubert Park precinct,[18] while developing links with community centres based in the surrounding area. The Friends of JAG have also lobbied to support & raise funds for Johannesburg Art Gallery,[19] and assist with running activities and educational programmes, intended "to nourish the roots of culture".[20]

There are growing concerns about City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality's poor maintenance of the Lutyens building, combined with deteriorating gallery conditions, such as water leaks and a lack of temperature control. This has caused concerns about the deterioration of "valuable and culturally significant art".[21] Calls to shift the art collection from the city has been made,[22] and a demand, from the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and the Friends of JAG, to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, to respect their mandate of care for both the JAG building and the art collection therein, has been issued[23]

Chief curators

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  • P Anton Hendriks (1937–1964)
  • Nel Erasmus (1964–1977)
  • Pat Senior (1977–1983)
  • Christopher Till (1983–1991)
  • Rochelle Keene (1991–2003)
  • Clive Kellner (2004–2008)[24]
  • Antoinette Murdoch (2009 – January 2017)[25][26]
  • Musha Nehuleni (acting curator, January 2017 – December 2018)[27]
  • Khwezi Gule (2019–present) [28]

References

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  1. ^ Keun, Eben. "Friends of JAG". Friends of Jag. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  2. ^ Electoral Commission, Independent. "Election Results". IEC Election Results. IEC. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  3. ^ Patrick, Alex. "Art attack: Damaged, leaking Joburg Art Gallery displays empty cabinets and bare walls". News24. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  4. ^ Kayser-Echeozonjoku, Belinda. "DA blocked from oversight at Joburg Art Gallery". DA. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  5. ^ Talevi, Giulietta. "How inaction, corruption and theft in the City of Joburg are destroying Africa's most valuable art collection". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  6. ^ Associated, Press. "A top African art gallery struggles to keep its footing".
  7. ^ Krishna, Swapna. "A Leaky Roof Has Forced the Johannesburg Art Gallery to Temporarily Close". Smithsonian Mag. Smithsonian. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  8. ^ "An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg". City of Johannesburg. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  9. ^ Johannesburg Art Gallery – Reviews and Ratings of Sights in Johannesburg – New York Times Travel
  10. ^ "The Gerard Sekoto Foundation | The Artist | Gerard Sekoto's Life". www.gerardsekotofoundation.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Restored Gerard Sekoto Paintings". friendsofjag.org. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  12. ^ "The custodian: Khwezi Gule". The Mail & Guardian. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  13. ^ a b Evans, Julia (31 March 2022). "PICTURE OF DECAY: Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  14. ^ Jillian Carman Uplifting the Colonial Philistine: Florence Phillips and the making of the Johannesburg Art Gallery 2006 Johannesburg: Wits University Press ISBN 1-86814-436-4
  15. ^ "City of Johannesburg – An artistic treasure house in the middle of Joburg". Archived from the original on 8 December 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  16. ^ Oppenheimers save African art from crumbling Johannesburg Art Gallery Business Live. 22 June 2023
  17. ^ Minty, Zayd, 1966-. Public art projects in post-apartheid South Africa: visual culture, creative spaces and postcolonial geographies. OCLC 841096216.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ Reporter, Staff (20 July 2001). "Joubert Park to host a major urban renewal project". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Friends of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG)". www.theheritageportal.co.za. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  20. ^ "#friendsofjag". friendsofjag.org. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  21. ^ Evans, Julia (31 March 2022). "Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin Once vibrant Joburg Art Gallery is crumbling into ruin". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  22. ^ Sonnekus, Simon. "Call to move art from Joburg Art Gallery to preserve priceless works". City Press. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  23. ^ Foundation, Johannesburg Heritage. "Letter of Demand issued over Johannesburg Art Gallery". Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  24. ^ "Clive Kellner heads off from JAG". City of Johannesburg. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  25. ^ "The JAG gets a new curator". City of Johannesburg. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Why I Left JAG – Antoinette Murdoch". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  27. ^ "But no one goes there any more, Joburg Art Gallery needs a new lease of life, Gabriel Crouse". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  28. ^ https://joburg.org.za/media_/Newsroom/Pages/2023%20News%20Articles/February/Gule-and-team-passionately-rebuilding-the-JAG-to-preserve-our-past.aspx
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