THE arts fraternity, family and friends, will this weekend, celebrate and honour the life and the legacy of art art connoisseur Andrew “Drew” Lindsay.
Aptly titled “Festive of Drew”, a series of events will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October and 31.
Lindsay, the founder of Spaza Art Gallery passed away on Tuesday, October 12, after suffering cardiac arrest.
This weekend, “Friends of Drew” will gather in celebration and honour of his passion for art, dance, love, friendship, generosity, hospitality, commitment, creativity, activism, resilience, humour, mentorship and spiritual wisdom.
After he established Spaza Art Gallery on March 3, 2001, he used the gallery as a base for outreach projects to bring art to the people, but also as a place where unrecognised and largely unsupported budding artists could receive training, support and encouragement.
Scores of artists, both new and established have exhibited at the Spaza Art Gallery which has hosted countless workshops, music and poetry gatherings, feasts, comedy events and dance.
Deliberately located in a poor working-class area, the Spaza Art Gallery brought all forms of art to the attention of the local population and beyond, and helped to break through the bankrupt idea that only so-called educated people could fully appreciate art, and understand its significance.
For more than three decades Lindsey was responsible for much of the public art across Joburg, and in many other parts of the country. His mosaics, murals and sculptures have been exhibited in many towns and cities across the country.
Friends, family, artists and all the communities that Lindsay’s life and work include, a small gathering at Spaza Art Gallery, where patrons will honour Lindsay Drew’s memory under Spaza Art’s Tower of Light in the sculpture garden. There will also be “Drew’s Mosaic Walk in The Wilds” in Joburg.
The walk will culminate in the unveiling of Drew’s Bench just below the Sun Dial. Participants may bring and share a picnic to enjoy on the Giraffe Lawn of The Wilds after the walk.
The events will be for streaming as well.
The purpose of the event is to try to save and sustain Spaza Art beyond its initial 20 years.
“Friends of Drew” and fellow artists have also started a crowdfunding campaign.
All donations are to be made to AJ LINDSAY CELEBRATIONS DONATIONS, FNB Savings account: 62575553477, Bedford Gardens 963, Branch code 252155, Swift code FIRNZAJJ.
“Please make the donor’s name the payment reference.
“All donations and their use will be accounted for via bank statements and generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP),” read the statement issued by trustees of Spaza Art Gallery.