The South African National Association for the Visual Arts
(SANAVA)
Message from Dirkie Offringa, National President of SANAVA
The Management Committee of SANAVA has pondered the repositioning of our organisation and how we could be of better service to our members. We will communicate our findings to the incoming committee and give them all our support to bring about any necessary changes.
The SANAVA Annual General Meeting will take place in Nelspruit/Mbombela on 28 June 2013. The meeting coincides with the annual Innibos Festival and will be hosted by the Lowveld Arts Association. Only a few members indicated that they would attend the meeting. We were particularly disappointed by the lack of interest expressed by branches and affiliates with regard to the submission of nominations for new committee members.
Proposal: kindly let us know how you would like us to assist you to attend the AGM and how we can encourage local government to assist you.
SANAVA annually submits funding applications to organisations such as the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and the National Arts Council on behalf of our branch members. The incoming Management Committee will most probably want to investigate other funding avenues and sources. We have requested our members to let us know in advance what their funding needs are, but it appears that not many branches are forward- planning. As a result we receive ad hoc requests at short notice for funding of projects.
Proposal: would it assist you if we send you a standard funding application with motivation to be submitted bi-annually?
The ABSA Atelier Art Competition, run under the auspices of SANAVA, has been going for 27 years and is the most prominent and prestigious art competition in the country. Millions are spent on promotion and career-boosting prizes. All SANAVA members are informed and requested to publicise this major event. Yet it appears as if the best art by young artists is not reaching us. Why is this?
Request: would all members be willing to disseminate information about competitions and opportunities to artists in their area?
SANAVA looks forward to communicating with you in our new-look Newsletter and hope to hear from you!
Dirkie Offringa
National President: SANAVA
May 2013
BACKGROUND
SANAVA is the oldest, constitutionally established, most representative, national non-governmental association for the promotion of the visual arts in South Africa, its origin dating back to 1851 when the Cape Fine Arts Society (CFAS) was established.
Over the years, the Society has grown to become a national body of artists and lovers of the visual arts. The organisation proved its resilience despite several war-time situations and challenges of an economic, financial, social and political nature. Several name changes were due to follow: in 1871 it became the South African Fine Arts Association (SAFAA), in 1945 the South African Association of Arts (SAAA), and in 1998 the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA). Despite the name changes, the Association basically retained the same objectives as reflected in the original Constitution, that of promoting the visual arts in its widest context. One of SANAVA’s major objectives concerning the development of artists relates to the administration of three fully equipped artists’ studios, in the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. These were acquired during the early 1990s in terms of an occupational rights agreement, valid till 2060.
SANAVA is an overall administrative body, serving autonomous branches and affiliated organisations (art galleries, museums, educational institutions and corporate bodies providing for the promotion of the visual arts) country-wide. Presently, the Association comprises 30 autonomous branches and 29 affiliated galleries, museums, academic institutions and corporate bodies, each of them promoting the visual arts in its own way. Its Constitution does not allow for individual artists directly to become members of the national association. They have to be members of a branch that is a member of the national body.
The National Association is registered with the Department of Social Development as a Non Government Organisation (NGO) and with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO). It is the South African member of the International Association of Art (IAA) with head office in Paris, France, which is recognised as a NGO in official relations with UNESCO
Membership of SANAVA
You can become involved with SANAVA either as an individual member of an existing branch of your choice or as an affiliate of the National Association (annual affiliation fee of R500 payable to SANAVA). There is no regional consideration involved if you should wish to join a branch, although practical considerations would be advisable.
With regard to applying for membership, branches all have there own procedures to be followed. Becoming a member of a branch automatically renders you membership of SANAVA. In the case e.g. of a gallery applying for direct membership of SANAVA, there are no application forms to be completed; a deposit of the annual affiliation fee of R500 serves as only formality except for the necessity to approach SANAVA beforehand about such eventuality and informing the Association about the name of the affiliate and particulars of the relevant contact person (postal, telephone, fax and email addresses).
Main Objectives
The promotion of the visual arts in general
The development of visual artists
Furthering international cooperation in the field of the visual arts
Management Committee
At the Annual General Meeting of the South African National Association for the Visual Arts, held in Pretoria on 28 August 2010, the following members were elected to constitute the Association’s Management Committee for a three-year term:
National President
Mrs Dirkie OFFRINGA
(Stellenbosch Association of Arts)National Vice-Presidents
Mr Anton LOUBSER
(Association of Arts Pretoria)
He will remain charged with the administration of the Association as Acting Executive OfficerMs Avitha SOOFUL
(Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark)Advocate Yvonne BURNS
(Association of Arts Pretoria)Honorary National Treasurer for the year 2010/2011
Advocate Alexander ELLIS
(Association of Arts Pretoria)Advisor
Mrs Lynette TEN KROODEN
(Association of Arts Pretoria)Approved and adopted at the Annual General Meeting on 2 October 1998, and amended at Annual General Meetings on 23 April 2004, 21 April 2006, 27 April 2007 and 28 August 2010.
Sanava: A member of the IAA
The South African Association of Arts (SAAA), earlier name of the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA), was a founding member of the International Association of Art (IAA)/Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques (AIAP). The IAA is a non-governmental world body run by and for visual artists in every medium, style and tradition. It was founded in 1954 under the auspices of UNESCO. Artists from countries worldwide are represented by their national committees. At the 1st General Assembly of the IAA, held in Venice from 28 September to 3 October 1954, the SAAA was represented by an established visual artist, Walter Battiss. He was elected as a member of the organisation’s first Executive Committee, together with representatives from Brazil, USA, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan and Sweden.
The principal objectives of the IAA are:
- to stimulate international co-operation, free from any aesthetic, political or other bias, among artists of all countries;
- to improve the economic and social position of artists at the international level, and to defend their material and moral rights; and
- to co-operate with UNESCO in the field of the visual arts.
The Executive Committee of IAA/AIAP
The Executive Committee of IAA/AIAP as elected at the International General Assembly of IAA/AIAP, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011
President:
Rosa Maria Burillo, Mexico
Vice President:
Grete Marstein, Norway
Treasurer:
Anne Pourny, FranceRegional coordinators:
Asia and the Pacific: Kan Irie, Japan
Latin America and the Caribbean: Ulises Roman, Chile
Africa: Dev Chooramun, Mauritius
Europe: Anders Lidén, SwedenEC members:
Bedri Baykam, Turkey
(with special responsibility for contacts with the Arab region)
Anton Loubser, South Africa
Christos Symeonides, Cyprus
National President’s Annual Report 2012
Administrative matters
Membership remained constant at 26 branches, 26 affiliated members
Accommodation: Lease for office at Anton van Wouw House, University of Pretoria
Finances
Income from capitation and affiliation fees
National Arts Council (NAC) for assisting artists at Cité Internationale des Arts
National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) for projects
International events
Membership of IAA - Vice President attended 2011 General Assembly in Mexico
World Art Day established on 15 April
International invitations disseminated to SA branches
Chinese travelling exhibitions in SA
National activities
Art development initiatives by branches and affiliates
26th Absa L’Atelier Competition, Johannesburg
PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Award, Association of Arts Pretoria
Sasol New Signatures Competition, Association of Arts Pretoria
Vuleka Art Competition, Art B Bellville
SANAVA THANKS
SA National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF)
National Arts Council (NAC)
Auditors: Messrs Griesel Nel (Jan Nel) Centurion
Association of Arts Pretoria
All our members and affiliates
Extracts from the National President's Report: 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011
Extracts from the National President's Report: 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010
Extracts from the National President's Report 2009: 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009