Hosted in the Riebeek Valley in the Western Cape, around the towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, the Solo Studios’ new mentorship project and social responsibility initiative sees disadvantaged artists from the local community - which includes art curators and galleries based in the area as well - has been created to provide opportunities for art collectors to visit artists in their studios to view and purchase their art.
“The People’s Gallery and the new mentorship program provides a platform for emerging and aspiring artists, and for those who engage in the arts on a part time basis to showcase their artworks. Disadvantaged artists from the local community will have the opportunity to display and sell their art works alongside the many established artists who reside in the valley over the weekend of Solo Studios’ event,” explains Klaus Piprek, who is the organiser and overall driving force behind Solo Studios and The People’s Gallery.
In addition to this, Solo Studios will be allocating a percentage of the proceeds from the event to go to a mentorship trust fund which will manage and fund a sustainable growth programme for disadvantaged artists.
“This year we have launched an exciting new linocut project that sees seven renowned artists from the area producing extremely limited sets of linocuts which are highly collectable. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these linocuts will also go back into the mentorship trust fund.
Many of our local artists from disadvantaged communities have exceptional talent, but through challenging circumstances, have not had the opportunities to develop their skills or to benefit financially therefrom. Solo Studios is committed to assisting these artists and artisans to grow their careers and improve their circumstances,” continues Piprek.
“Solo Studios as an event was created as an inclusive initiative, designed to sustainably benefit the Riebeek Valley community as a whole. Visitors are encouraged to stay in the Valley over the entire weekend of Solo Studios, during which time they will also be supporting tourism in the town, and the people in the local community who derive their living from the tourism and hospitality sector in Riebeek,” says Piprek.
This bespoke experience has firmly established itself on the arts calendar, and promises to again attract hundreds of art aficionados - with this year’s event building on the unique offerings of last year, with some exciting additions, such as The Writers’ Studio. The group exhibition which sees local resident authors, poets, editors and illustrators share a platform, includes participation from renowned authors such as political commentator Max Du Preez and investigative journalist Jacques Pauw.
Tickets for the event come in a variety of options. The premier weekend pass covers entry to all the participating artists and galleries over the full weekend period and also includes access to the Friday evening opening event, as well as an exclusive breakfast event hosted by Max Du Preez and Jacques Pauw. A regular weekend pass and day pass for the Saturday or Sunday, respectively allows access to all participating studios and group exhibitions.
Visitors will collect their passes at RK Contemporary and will also be given a Solo Studios map clearly indicating the routes and participants’ locations in the Riebeek Valley, as well as a catalogue which provides details on each of the participating artists and group exhibitions.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.solostudios.co.za and follow the link to Webtickets. A limited number of tickets are available and pre-booking is essential. For more information on Solo Studios contact Klaus Piprek on 074 209 6838, or email az.oc.soidutsolos@sualk.
