"This exhibition is fantastic in that it comes from people who, until a few years ago, had not held a camera in their hands!" enthused Chris Daly, regional director of the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA) as well as national and international photographic salon judge.
All five exhibiting photographers are members of PSSA from which they have received many honours and awards. Lewis was one of the founder members of the Knysna Photographic Society. Daly added that the photographers, through being members of both the Knysna Photographic Society and PSSA had learned so much. "I am most impressed, really I am."
The exhibition idea was conceived by Lewis whose aim was to present a unique photographic exhibition using work byy these five award-winning photographers who reside between Plettenberg Bay and Sedgefield.
In a letter addressed to the five photographers following the launch, Daly said that he was very proud to see such a high standard of photography coming from the Garden Route. "Special congratulations to Gigi on the brilliant idea, I am sure it is a first for SA," read Daly's letter.
He further expressed his hope that the exhibition would become a regular feature on the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival programme.
Sadly Hrabar was unable to attend the opening, as she and her husband awaited his bone marrow transplant in Cape Town.
During the opening Lewis explained that the five photographers had "worked very hard to put this exhibition together and each of us has had considerable expense to have the photos printed on canvas and stretched on frames, and should you wish to acquire a photograph tonight, they are for sale," she smiled.
Money pledged to Concordia pre-school
Before Lewis announced the exhibition as open, she explained that should her photograph of a little girl be sold, she would pledged the nett proceeds of the sale to Noluthando Pre-School in Concordia.
The photograph depicts a little girl, Lihle Fumba, standing in the open gateway of Noluthando in Concordia. Lewis told gallery visitors of 13 young Rotary Interactors from Bath in the United Kingdom, who had visited Knysna to meet 80 other Interactors to assist with the uplifting of several Educare centres in the local townships. "They painted, among other deeds, the walls of Noluthando and have since won the Princess Diana Award for their efforts," said Lewis.
Permission was received from Lihle's mother to not only display the photo, but to offer it for sale as well.
Young Lihle was introduced to delighted guests, together with her mother, Thandiwe and the headmistress of Noluthando, Brycelina Hashe.
This exhibition at the Knysna Art Gallery at the Old Gaol in Queen Street will conclude on July 21.
The ladies responsible for the beautiful photographs at the Old Gaol exhibiion, Femmes Fotales - Photography Through the Female Eye are (from left) Luana Laubscher (Sedgefield), Eileen Covarr (Plettenberg Bay), Gigi Lewis (Knysna) and Mary Hunter (Sedgefield). Anne Hrabar (Plettenberg Bay) had to be in Cape Town with her husband who is preparing to receive a bone marrow transplant.
