Oliewenhuis Art Museum

 

16 Harry Smith Street

Arboretum

Bloemfontein

Free State

 

PO Box 266

Bloemfontein

9301

 

Tel: 051 447 9609

e-mail:  oliewen@nasmus.co.za

 

Gallery Hours

Monday to Friday:  08:00 – 17:00

Saturday:  10:00 - 17:00

Sunday 13:00 - 17:00

Closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday

 

Contact Person: Ester Le Roux

 

Completed in 1941, the building served as residence for Governor Generals and later State Presidents of South Africa.  On 19 July 1985 the building was released by former State President, PW Botha to the National Museum for the purpose of converting it into an Art Museum.  The permanent collection of more than 1200 works of South African art includes paintings, sculpture and works on paper.  The Museum is the youngest of its kind in the country and the only Art Museum in the Province.  The permanent collection, which is frequently rearranged, is housed on the first floor.  The Museum hosts national and international traveling art exhibitions, arrange education programmes, practical workshops, guided tours and lectures. The reference library is available to teachers, visiting scholars, students and members of the public. 

 

The Terrace at Oliewenhuis situated in the Museum gardens serves light meals, delicacies and specialty cakes.  The Museum gardens offer ideal picnic spots and walking trials through the surrounding areas are accessible to young and old.

 

The African Carousel Project, a public sculpture commission comprising 16 original artworks was completed in 1997.  This nation-wide project lends itself to introducing a wider concept of art making to audiences.  The focus of the project is also to introduce children to the concept of art in an unintimidating, fun way and in so doing, to build an audience for the future. 

 

Willem Boshoff’s Blind Alphabet A is an attraction for blind visitors and comprises 94 descriptive shapes, small enough to be picked up and handled by the blind.

 

The transformation of the underground reservoir into an art gallery began as early as 1996 and

the project was completed in November 2002.  The reservoir is a unique space, which allows Oliewenhuis Art Museum the opportunity of extending and augmenting its activities.