Published September 18, 2020
The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) will reopen on Heritage Day, 24 September 2020.
“We are excited to welcome people back,” says Dr Samuel Isaacs, interim chief executive officer. “We’ve been looking forward for months to reopening the art centre. It’s exciting that the artwork on exhibition here – everything from modern masterpieces to the ancient gold pieces of the Gold of Africa exhibition – will again be accessible to view, to marvel at and to think and talk about.”
Javett-UP has put extensive and thorough protocols in place to safeguard staff and visitors against Covid-19. So visiting Javett-UP isn’t only an opportunity to see the great masterpieces of Africa, but it’s also an opportunity to enjoy a morning or afternoon out, knowing that the threat of Covid-19 is well and truly taken care of.
The pieces on exhibition at Javett-UP are a precious part of the national heritage, so it’s especially fitting that the art centre reopens on Heritage Day, inviting people to celebrate the creativity and talent of South Africa’s artists.
Javett-UP is unique in that it exhibits only the work of African artists. It’s been shut for nearly six months while South Africans were in social isolation. But that’s behind us now, and the doors will be opened wide at 10am on 24 September so that the masterpieces on exhibition may be viewed in all their inspiring, iconic beauty.
Javett-UP is home to three signature exhibitions: the Gold of Africa exhibition (that includes the famed Mapungubwe Gold Collection and AngloGold Barbier-Mueller Collection of West African Gold ); All in a Day’s Eye: The Politics of Innocence in the Javett Collection (that includes among the most noteworthy and iconic works of modern South African art); and 101 Collecting Conversations: Signature Works of a Century(that brings together the 101 works that tell the story of South Africa’s momentous and turbulent history, as seen through the eyes of its artists).
Javett-UP is the only place where all these works may be viewed in the same place, at the same time, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity for anybody and everybody who is interested in South African history, heritage and stories.
Entry is free to all visitors on Heritage day, 24 September 2020! Owing to Covid-19 regulations, the Javett-UP can accommodate only a specified number of people inside the centre at one time. Please be patient in the event that you need to wait a few minutes if the centre is at full capacity when you arrive.
Should you wish to enjoy a snack during your visit to the Javett there is a catering service available for you to place an order in advance of your arrival. Your order will be available for collection at the Reception desk. Please bring the proof of purchase with that will be mailed to you in advance. An open-air seating area will be available to enjoy your PURE DIVINE BOX with friends. Have a look at the snack boxes for two and place your order here.
For more information visit our FAQs page.