Hermanus Art Walk
First Fridays Artwalk was a fun and lively evening! Hermanus weather has been warm and fantastic, forcing people out and about. The galleries were packed, and the crowd was mostly local. It’s late winter and peak whale watching season, but a series of protests at Zwelihle Township have deterred would-be tourists.
It was great to just relax, appreciate the art, and forget about Africa’s troubles. I enjoyed mingling with creative people and walking between galleries while the star-studded sky dazzled with endless twinkles and a First Quarter Moon illuminated Walker Bay.
I’ve been on Cape Town artwalks, but this was the first in Hermanus. I went with a neighbor and her friends – surprisingly one was my former Pilates instructor!
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“The beauty of the Overberg lures many artists, and the Gallery promotes contemporary artworks of accomplished South African artists.” Bellini Gallery
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Worldwide Initiative
First Fridays in Hermanus are “part of a worldwide initiative to make art and galleries more accessible to the public”. The first Friday of each month, galleries in central Hermanus remain open until 8 p.m. – we walked around much later…
Gallery Hospitality
The galleries offer visitors local wine and food as they talk with artists and view creative art displays. I’ve exhausted my budget but saw pieces that I wanted to buy. One painting in particular still calls me… Items displayed included oil and watercolor paintings, handmade carpets, bronzes, ceramics, African artifacts, jewelry, sculpting, and unique glassware.
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Galleries showcase “solo and group exhibitions aimed at exposing and developing the talents of young emerging fine, modern, conceptual, and installation artists in a large modern space”. Rossouw Modern Space
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We didn’t visit all galleries participating in the event, but I found favorites to revisit and made a list of new places to explore. The galleries were alive with interesting faces and artists talking about their work. Many Hermanus galleries are on Harbour Road where cottages and homes are now business premises. The area has original buildings a century old.
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First Fridays in Hermanus are “part of a worldwide initiative to make art and galleries more accessible to the public”.
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Boniface Chikwenhere
Blue Buck Bar
We grabbed a bite at Bluebuck Bar, a raucous and wildly diverse local pub. Apparently, it can get rowdy as the night progresses. Most photos attached aren’t captioned – I will fill in names after learning more about the artists
