In recent years since Covid, art in any matter or form, has been infiltrating Knysna, from mosaic artworks in Sedgefield, to painted surfboards on facilities at Buffalo Beach.
And even to the country’s biggest Rastafarian settlement’s Judah Square where a giant 2.2m tall statue and tribute to Haile Selassie stands.
Something rather like mushrooms after rain has been happening here in the last couple years and it’s growing in momentum.
If you haven’t noticed the art popping up all over town and even the surrounds, then start off at the Art Café on Queen which is a café-cum-art gallery housed in an old restored house.
From here you can see the Circles in a Forest installation mural made up of a series of circular artworks (or kringe/circles) decorating what was once a bleak wall of the old Town Hall.
Each circle in this mural depicts an aspect of the greater Knysna area from forest scenes to flora and fauna.
Perhaps most significant of all is that it is the work of about 60 local artists who contributed in their own style.
At Art Café on Queen, owner Helena Gerber displays her own work alongside that of other artists in the various rooms, charming nooks and crannies of her place.
From here, one can get the lowdown on art in the town and where to find it. This is the joint where arty people hang out.
I first met Gerber after Covid and instead of moping through lockdown and the pandemic, she imagined Knysna coming alive with art, like it used to be many years ago.
Gerber connected artists virtually during lockdown and once life went back to normal, there were already fires of revival in the realm of art.
Testament to this whole renaissance of art in the town was the attendance of about 80-plus people at the most recent opening of an exhibition at the Old Gaol last week.
The theme was Human Nature and contributing artists included ordinary people, not renowned artists, alongside the more accomplished.
What pleased me was that instead of the same-old people popping up (Knysna is a village after all), there were new faces, people of all ages and backgrounds. It was a vibey evening.
The present chair of the Knysna Art Society (KAS), Rossanna Pancaldi, said it was exciting to see the diverse styles, artistic skill and expression from the 36 artists who submitted more than 60 works.
The artists’ brief was to interpret human nature in their own unique ways.
“It can be understood as the traits, emotions, actions, instincts and contradictions that define us as human beings.
“From compassion to conflict, from creation to destruction, the phrase evokes the complexity of what it means to be human.
“It may also speak to our connection with the natural world and our reliance on, reverence for, or estrangement from it.
“It may equally point toward the environmental questions of our time: human impact, imbalance and responsibility,” Pancaldi said.
Most importantly, she said: “We are a thriving art society now with over 200 members, growing steadily, and registered as one of the largest NPOs in town.”
The committee is elected and all work is done on a volunteer basis, with membership open to artists on the Garden Route.
Pancaldi says that before 2015, Knysna used to be known as the art town of the Garden Route, but then for some reason this faded.
“Artists were doing their own art at home, or in small unconnected groups, without exhibition facilities.
“In early 2020 during Covid, a Facebook group was formed by KAS, called Garden Route Artists Unite, encouraging artists to post their work, and they slowly got to know one another,” Pancaldi said.
In 2021, KAS was reborn, but still the art movement didn’t take off.
“It was only when Willem de Voogdt and Helena Gerber committed themselves once again to try to resurrect the society, that there was forward momentum.
“During this time, various interactive art projects with Visit Knysna [the tourism arm of the Knysna municipality] helped to create a tribe of artists beautifying the town with their skills and forming strong friendships,” Pancaldi said.
Under the chair of Gerber (2022 and 2023) and then Zelmarie van Rooyen in 2024, great things started happening.
Fawa Conradie is now chair of KAS which is blossoming into one of the most active art communities in the Western Cape.
“Art is alive and well in Knysna and is recognised as a main attraction for national and international tourism again,” Conradie said.
There are all sorts of projects — in collaboration with Knysna Tourism, SANParks, Revive Knysna, Art on Queen, among others — creating murals, sculpture, mosaics and other public art in Knysna and Sedgefield.
All to beautify the town and public spaces.
Knysna has become a town where there are regular art workshops and classes being held.
One of my highlights was to attend a Sip and Paint hosted by Gerber at her café last year.
What was wonderful to see is that women, just like me with no art background at all, came to learn and play.
Contact KAS to find out what classes are available.
There are curated exhibitions throughout the year like the one called UNBLOCKED during the famous Knysna Oyster Festival and always something on the go.
Head for the Old Gaol to see the latest works which are all for sale.
To find out about art classes, exhibitions, resources, events or the Knysna Art Route, google Knysna Art Society. For information contact knysnaartssociety@gmail.com
