KNYSNA NEWS - Countless businesses in South Africa and the world at large have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but what about the artists?

Art has always been a form of expression determined by signs of the times, and this concept has proved no different for art galleries in Knysna as the landscape continues to shift, change and evolve.

In an interview with Knysna-Plett Herald, Knysna Arts Society (KAS) chair Helena Gerber explained that the art scene in Knysna is not what it once was, even before lockdown, and that different opinions on the future of art led to a division among local artists. "We took a decision as a committee that we needed to revive the art scene in Knysna, and to do so we had to begin going online and adapting the galleries to be more digital," she said. "Luckily this process started last year, so we had already begun bringing new measures into effect."

New website
One of these is the launching of a KAS website to exhibit works from artists and galleries in and around Knysna. They are aiming to complete the website by the time the virtual Oyster Festival begins later this month. 

"We also started up a Facebook group called Artists Unite to help bring artists together during these times of isolation," said Gerber, who is also an artist and owner of the Art on Queen gallery.

"Artists have been able to come together more through this, and we've been able to see everybody's works better and provide support for each other." The society has also elected to stop making use of the Old Gaol as a day-to-day art gallery and instead use it as a venue for artists or companies who wish to hold an exhibition.

One of the KAS members impacted by lockdown is Jandreart Studio, owned by local artist Jan Raats. "There have been no sales from the gallery, or online, since the start of lockdown. Commissioned works have been paid for even if they haven’t been couriered to clients."

'Online trend will continue'
He has kept himself busy during lockdown by churning out five paintings while also taking time to update his website and doing online courses in new forms of art. While Raats isn't anticipating an immediate change to how things work, he is expecting an impact later on. 

"Social media was already playing an increasingly important role prior to lockdown, and this trend will continue, at an increased pace if anything."

Another longstanding fixture among the Knysna arts fraternity is Knysna Fine Art gallery, whose curator Corlie de Kock believes the gallery could benefit from its layout in this changed social environment due to lockdown measures. 

"Our setup is perfect for social distancing. It is a very large space and art is in essence a quiet and personal experience," she explained while also noting that the building is sanitised and cloth masks are required for entrance. "We have been lucky so far and our business is running smoothly as we run a very strong online campaign and we are fully digitalised, so we have online exhibitions too."

De Kock also noted a recent shift in the art scene. "The art scene has been changing over the last few years because of national and international economic factors," she said. "I foresee fewer galleries operating and the competition is stronger. On the positive side, this pushes art to higher standards. But, the next few years could be potentially difficult as long as international tourism and travel is restricted."

Focus on local artists
One local gallery owner is hoping that he won't have to rely too heavily on international tourism, however. "We only support local artists, and I personally believe that locals need to turn their heads to the wonderful art our local artists are producing," said Wayne Kitching, owner of Art at Oaks on Main, which only opened up in December 2019. 

"Unfortunately people don't necessarily have money to spend on art at the moment, but in the long run we are really hoping that locals will come to the party and support our local artists."

Gerber echoed Kitching's sentiments, but also stated she doesn't think the light at the end of the tunnel for art galleries in South Africa and Knysna in particular is too far away. "People don't know if their income is secure at the moment, so why would they buy art? But, I don't think this spells doom for us," she said. 

"So much progress has been made to go digital, and there is still so much more room to grow. The potential for art is still so high, and I remain positive for the outcome in the years to come."

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