JOHANNESBURG - The US Consulate General on Wednesday announced that it had awarded a R1.9 million grant to the Constitutional Court Trust for the preservation of the Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC).
The CCAC - started in 1995 - is a collection of over 400 artworks donated by artists and private collectors to celebrate the birth of democracy in South Africa.
The grant will preserve the collection of artworks, tapestries and sculptures housed at the Constitutional Court building on Constitution Hill.
The Constitutional Court Trust was selected to receive the grant following a worldwide competition for funds provided by American ambassadors in more than 100 countries to support the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression.
The US Consul General to Johannesburg, Michael McCarthy, said: “I am very pleased that the US Mission to South Africa has played a role in preserving numerous aspects of South African culture over the past several years. From South African indigenous music, to the Federated Union of Black Artists archives, and now the Constitutional Court Art Collection, these projects underscore not only the global importance of South Africa’s rich heritage, but also our shared responsibility to help protect it.”
Chairperson of the Constitutional Court Trust, Justice Sisi Khampepe said she was "profoundly grateful" for the grant.
"This will go a long way in preserving this unique collection of artworks, largely donated by artists and private collectors to celebrate the advent of democracy in South Africa," said Khampepe.