Cultural experiences

Art galleries in the Western Cape

CAPE TOWN

34 LONG
34 Long Street, Cape Town
Fine art by leading South African and international contemporary artists.
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38 SPECIAL GALLERY
38 Buitekant Street, Gardens, Cape Town
Established in 2000, 38 Special Gallery is located in one of Cape Town's oldest buildings, which dates back to 1770. The original walls are still visible. 38 Special operates as a day time coffee shop and showcases local art talent, usually solo exhibitions, that are updated monthly.

3RD I GALLERY
95 Upper Waterkant Street, Cape Town
(021) 425 2266
Situated in an 18th-century warehouse, the gallery showcases exhibitions exploring contemporary issues. The on-site framing workshop offers framing, museum preservation and restoration. Phone to find out about evening function times.

The ALFRED MALL GALLERY
Shop 1, Alfred Mall Shopping Centre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
The Alfred Mall Gallery features the finest in contemporary South African fine art. Established in 1994, it showcases some of South Africa's most exciting and talented artists. Original works of art by South African artists, paintings in varied media, ceramics and bronzes, complimented by an extensive collection of the South African Print Collection, offers a wealth of choice.
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ART.B
Library Centre, Carel van Aswegen Street, Bellville, Cape Town
Art.b, the Arts Association of Bellville, is a community-orientated organisation, sensitive to new ideas and supportive of established and emerging artists from all cultural backgrounds. Art.b's vibrant art gallery showcases the visual art and artists of the Western Cape. A non-profit organisation open to all, it is the Western Cape branch of the South African National Association of Visual Art. The gallery is maintained and managed with the support of the City of Cape Town.
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ASSOCIATION FOR VISUAL ARTS
35 Church Street, Cape Town
The AVA is an important not-for-profit gallery in central Cape Town hosting up to 50 exhibitions a year, with proposals selected by committee. Run by the energetic Estelle Jacobs, the AVA usually hosts three exhibitions at a time, with many young contemporary artists making their debut here.
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BELL-ROBERTS ART GALLERY
199 Loop Street, Cape Town
This contemporary gallery has made a great impact on the contemporary art scene in the past two years, soliciting solo exhibitions by trendy young artists such as Brett Murray and Doreen Southwood. Run by a husband and wife team, the gallery adjoins a café and bookshop and the Bell-Roberts publishing company, which prints books, catalogues and postcards for the art set.
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BRONZE AGE FOUNDRY
King George Way, Simonstown
Incorporating Albertyn's Stables Art Gallery and a bronze foundry which services many of the city's artists, this wharf-side institution is housed in a 200-year-old building originally used by a cartage company to stable horses and store carts.
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CAPE GALLERY
60 Church Street, Cape Town
The Cape Gallery is set in the heart of the old city, flanked by the colourful Georgian and Dutch facades built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Central to the tradition of South African painting is the abiding love of the land. Early Cape painters were reporters who described the topography, flora and fauna of the land, a conservative approach which is still favoured by the gallery's clients today. The emergence of vibrant street art has added an African character to the work on display.
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CARMEL ART ORIGINAL
Claremont Gallery: 66 Vineyard Road, corner Cavendish St, Claremont, Cape Town
Constantia Gallery: Constantia Village Shopping Centre, Main Road, Constantia, Cape Town
With two galleries in Cape Town, Carmel Art stocks a wide range of paintings by leading South African artists in a large variety of media and subjects. Traditional work is shown in the Constantia Gallery and more contemporary in the Claremont Gallery, which has recently been expanded to become the largest contemporary art gallery in Cape Town.
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CHELSEA ART GALLERY
51 Waterloo Rd, Chelsea-Wynberg, Cape Town
Situated in the old Chelsea Village of Wynberg is the 'Ou Pastorie', a beautiful Victorian house and home to the Chelsea Gallery, host to leading South African artists and monthly exhibitions of contemporary art.
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ERDMANN CONTEMPORARY AND THE PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY ZA
63 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
This contemporary gallery functions as a dual-medium promoter. As Erdmann Contemporary the gallery is dedicated to the promotion of contemporary comic art, in addition to representing a select group of painters. Simultaneously as the Photographers Gallery ZA the location showcases new trends in South African contemporary photography.
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EVERARD READ GALLERY
3 Portswood Road, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
A regional offshoot of the long-established Johannesburg gallery, the Everard Read specialises in investment art including wildlife and landscape paintings.
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GREATMORE STUDIOS
47-49 Greatmore Street, Woodstock, Cape Town
Affiliated to the Bag Factory in Johannesburg and the Gasworks in London, Greatmore Studios offer work places to local artists and temporary residencies to visiting artists. Exhibitions by residents are held on an irregular basis.
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HÄNEL GALLERY
84 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
The Hänel Gallery has established itself as a reputable space showcasing contemporary South African and international artists falling well to the left of centre. With its roots in Germany, the gallery has exposed more than one local artist to the European art fair scene. It has a proven commitment to the local art scene and the advancement of the best in it.
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IRMA STERN MUSEUM
Cecil Road, Rosebank, Cape Town
Irma Stern (1894-1966) was a major South African artist who achieved national and international recognition in her lifetime. Established in 1971 in the house the artist lived in for almost four decades, the museum's permanent collection on display shows Stern’s development as an artist, with subjects including exotic figures, portraits, lush landscapes and still lifes conveyed in a variety of media. There is also a commercial gallery showcasing contemporary South African artists.
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JOÃO FERREIRA FINE ART
80 Hout Street, Cape Town
One of South Africa's leading galleries for contemporary artists and art collectors, João Ferriera Gallery hosts regular shows by contemporary artists working in a variety of mediums. Work is selected for exceptional and unique quality. The gallery has the experience and expertise to provide a range of specialist services to collectors, such as the acquisition, sale, restoration and conservation of works of art; valuations and insurance advice; transportation and storage; and framing and installation.
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JOHANS BORMAN FINE ART GALLERY
Address: In-Fin-Art Building, Upper Buitengracht Street, Cape Town
Features a selection of works by South African Masters - Irma Stern, JH Pierneef and Gerard Sekoto, among others - as well as works by leading South African contemporary artists such as Erik Laubscher, Conrad Theys and Walter Meyer, covering a diversity of styles and subject matter.
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KUNST HOUSE
62 Kloof Street, Gardens
Kunst House is home to exhibitions from a wide cross-section of artists.
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MICHAELIS COLLECTION
Old Town House, Greenmarket Square, Cape Town
Situated in the historical Old Town House on Greenmarket Square in the city centre, the gallery is home to a collection of paintings by Dutch and Flemish masters as well a small collection of antique Dutch furniture.
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MICHAELIS GALLERIES
Address: Hiddingh Campus, 31-37 Orange Street, Cape Town
These university galleries occasionally stage cutting-edge, non-commercial shows including video art by local and international artists, as well as housing postgraduate and undergraduate exhibitions.
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NATALE LABIA MUSEUM
192 Main Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town
Presented to the South African National Gallery by Count Natale Labia in 1985 in memory of his parents, the museum houses a historical collection, occasional temporary shows, and offers drawing classes, workshops and lecture series.

PORCUPINE CERAMICS GALLERY
Shop 103, Ground Level, Clock Tower Shopping Centre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Porcupine "Art out of Africa" has created a unique and sophisticated Euro/Afrocentric range of contemporary ethnic "raku-pit-fired" ceramics, which project a new and exciting art dimension whilst retaining the spirit of Africa. Inspired by the art of the very diverse ethnic cultures of the Southern Hemisphere and Africa, the Porcupine Ceramics Gallery at the Clock Tower has a vast range of decorative art pieces with crackled glaze, flashed metallic and blackened carbon surfaces. The firing process at the studio ensures that each fired piece is totally unique, and no two pieces are ever identical.
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RAW VISION GALLERY
89 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
Raw Vision Gallery is a newcomer to the Cape Town art scene, having opened in June 2009. It promotes the work of South African as well as international artists, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists and animators. According to the Raw Vision Gallery website, "we like to exhibit 'Art with Attitude'".
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ROSE KORBER ART CONSULTANCY
48 Sedgemoor Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town
Rose Korber is an independent art consultant and dealer, specialising in works by leading and emerging contemporary South African artists. Her selection of artwork ranges from paintings, drawings, original prints and photography, to sculpture, ceramics and museum-quality craftwork. She also offers specialist services such as installation, framing, hanging, conservation and restoration.
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SANLAM ART GALLERY
2 Strand Road, Bellville, Cape Town
A corporate collection of works by South African artists, comprising paintings, drawings, graphics and sculptures, with selections exhibited regularly at the company's Bellville head office. The collection spans the 20th century and many international art movements.
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THE SOUTH AFRICAN ART COLLECTION
Shop 9, Lower Ground Level, Clock Tower Shopping Centre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Established in November 2002 by invitation of the V & A Waterfront Directors, The S.A. Art Collection has fast become a favourite South African art gallery with visitors and South Africans alike. It features a wonderful choice of South African original art, African artefacts and bronze sculptures together with the 'S.A. Print Collection' range. Situated on the same level and a stone’s throw from the Nelson Mandela Museum and departure point for the Robben Island ferry, it is ideally situated for a relaxing browse and coffee break whilst one gazes at unique art from Africa.
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SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY
Government Avenue, Company Gardens, Cape Town
South Africa's flagship art museum houses major collections of South African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art. Selections from the permanent collection change regularly to enable the museum to have a full programme of temporary exhibitions of paintings, works on paper, photography, sculpture, beadwork, textiles and architecture.
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URBAN CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
46 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town
The Urban Contemporary Art Gallery exhibits the work of many different artists and holds regular exhibitions. Information on the artists and exhibitions is available on the Urban Contemporary Art website.
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VEO GALLERY & FRAMEWORKS
28 Jarvis St, De Waterkant Village, Green Point, Cape Town and 33 Long Street, Cape Town
Regular exhibitions of a range of contemporary art (sculpture, painting, photography, etc), including solo and group exhibitions. The gallery also sources art works for specific installations, has exhibition space available for rental, coordinates exhibitions, and offers comprehensive framing services.
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WILLIAM FEHR COLLECTION
Corner of Darling and Buitenkant Streets, Cape Town
Located in the Castle of Good Hope, and comprising both the B Block and Good Hope galleries, the William Fehr Collection is a permanent display of historical paintings and decorative arts from the 17th to mid-19th centuries reflecting social life, events and the natural environment, mainly in Cape Town, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. There are also archaeological displays of artefacts excavated in the Castle and a number of furnished interiors. Gallery spaces are occasionally used for historical and contemporary art exhibitions
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REST OF THE WESTERN CAPE

DORP STREET GALLERY
Corner of 176 Dorp and Ryneveld streets, Stellenbosch
Dorp Street specialises contemporary South African artists, with a new exhibition every three weeks. They feature South African artworks in all mediums: painting, graphic work, sculpture, ceramic, glass, installation art, textiles and so on. There is also a shop selling glass, jewellery, graphics, paintings, ceramics, textiles, sculptures and African decorative collectables
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GALLERY HERMANUS
151a Main Road, Hermanus, Overberg Region, Western Cape
Gallery Hermanus - Fine Art Gallery - established in August 2002 in the Main Road of the quaint, scenic, vibrant holiday and recreation coastal gem, Gallery Hermanus offers an intimate selection of original fine art from well known South African artists in addition to a wide range of prints and African artefacts.
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THE KALK BAY GALLERY
62 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Peninsula
This Cape Town art gallery's reputation for the most comprehensive selection of contemporary South African original fine art has made it a favourite destination with collectors and investors from South Africa and around the world. Established in 1995, the Kalk Bay Gallery is housed in the now distinct Orange Building - 62 Main Road Kalk Bay, overlooking False Bay on the South Peninsula coast of Cape Town. It offers a unique selection of over 3 000 items.
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KNYSNA FINE ART
Corner Grey and Gordon Streets, Knysna
Located in the picturesque coastal town of Knysna, this gallery pecialises in contemporary South African art in a variety of media, although a growing number of international fine artists are also exhibited. The owner is Trent Read, elder son of the late Everard Read, who was the doyen of South African art dealers. Trent is the fifth generation of his family to be a dealer.
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LIPSCHITZ GALLERY
16 Market Square, Beacon Way, Plettenberg Bay
The Lipschitz Gallery is well known nationally and internationally for representing the best of South Africa's emergent and established artists in all genres, in the biggest gallery on the Garden Route.
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SASOL ART MUSEUM
52 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch
This museum is run by the University of Stellenbosch and houses a collection of historical works by Cape artists as well as temporary curated and solo exhibitions.
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STRYDOM GALLERY
79 Market Street, George, Western Cape
Established in 1968, Strydom Galery is a family business internationally recognised for its high standard and tasteful display of selected artworks by a cross-section of South African painters, sculptors, printmakers, potters and photographers.
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US ART GALLERY
Corner Dorp and Bird Streets, Stellenbosch
This gallery, situated in an old church, falls under the University of Stellenbosch and is regularly host to exhibitions of contemporary art.
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VINEYARD GALLERY FRANSCHOEK
21 Huguenot Street, Cape Winelands, Franschhoek, Western Cape
Situated on the main road of the village, in majestic Franschhoek valley, the elegant and contemporary Vineyard Gallery Franschhoek features some of South Africa's finest artworks. On offer in this modern, light and bright art gallery is a comprehensive selection of South African art. On display are South African landscapes and seascapes, wildlife and township art, abstract and impressionist art, as well as unique African sculptures, amongst others.
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