Who we are
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum is located at St George’s
Park, on the corner of Rink Street and Park Drive. It is home to a comprehensive collection of
South African art and craft and specializes in the art of the Eastern Cape
Province. There are three exhibition
halls that are re-hung throughout the year to accommodate our collections as
well as our programme of special exhibitions.
Originally named the King George VI Art Gallery, the
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum was founded by the Port Elizabeth Municipality on the 22 June 1956 and, from 1960 to 2007, operated under the control of an independent
Board of Trustees. The Board was
established by a resolution of the PE City Council on 28 July 1960 and was
formally constituted with effect from 1 January 1961. The
Board was "entrusted with the entire management and financial control of
the affairs of the Art Gallery" and comprised nine statutory members and
nine additional co-opted members. The
statutory members were appointed by their respective authorities. The co-opted Trustees were elected by the
Board of Trustees. The statutory
members represented the City Council, the PE Technikon, the University of Port
Elizabeth, the Cape Provincial Administration, the Eastern Province Society of
Arts and Crafts, the Director of the Port Elizabeth Museum (subsequently
re-named Bayworld), and the King George VI Art Gallery Association
(subsequently re-named the Friends of the Art Museum).
With the proposed re-naming of the Art Museum (which
was approved by Council in December 2002) the Board entered into protracted
negotiations with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Council regarding the Art
Museum’s function within the metropole.
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum is now part
of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Vision
The vision of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
is for the Art Museum to be a place that the citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay
value and take pride in and that will promote our city nationally and
internationally. We want our collections to be universally accessible and to
provide a source of inspiration that will make a positive difference to peoples'
lives.
Mission
The mission of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
Art Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and foster the understanding and
enjoyment of works of art at the highest possible museum and scholarly standards.
Core Values
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PEOPLE come first, are treated with dignity and
respect, and are encouraged to achieve their full potential.
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RELATIONSHIPS
are built on honesty, integrity and trust.
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DIVERSITY of people and thought is
respected.
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EXCELLENCE is achieved through teamwork, leadership, creativity
and a strong work ethic.
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EFFICIENCY is achieved through wise use of human and
financial resources.
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COMMITMENT to intellectual achievement is
embraced.
Long Term Goals
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Building up a definitive collection of the art of the Eastern Cape,
supported by a representative collection of African and South African art.
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Promoting the appreciation of visual art in Nelson Mandela Bay and the
Eastern Cape Province.
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Encouraging the production of visual art in the Eastern Cape and the
promotion of this art nationally and internationally.
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Breaking down perceived barriers between visual art, craft and design.
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Broadening public appreciation for visual arts from diverse cultural
origins.
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Promoting the formal study of South African art in general and Eastern Cape
art in particular at schools and tertiary institutions.
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Providing sources of inspiration for practicing artists.
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Making the Museum’s permanent art collection accessible to the widest
possible audience, nationally and internationally.
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Promoting the economic value of the visual arts to the Metro. This will be
achieved through recreational activities, tourism, community upliftment,
education and services to artists, designers and craftspeople (e.g.
publications, exhibitions and training).
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