DURBAN - THE KZNSA Gallery in Bulwer needs a cash injection of R500 000 to keep its doors open, at least for the next few months.
The city's leading gallery took to social media today to share their plight and explain how they have weathered financial storms as the country fights its way through the deadly coronavirus.
"We made it through the first wave, and spent the lockdown creating our online shop for the Gallery. We streamlined the café menu and unfortunately had to lose some staff too, in order to rationalise and simplify. We made other staff changes and currently have a quality lean team," the gallery's management said in a lengthy Facebook post.
It said the good old days when the gallery was full and bustling had disappeared as they had been severely impacted by Covid and the national lockdown, as well as the second wave and level 3 lockdown restrictions.
The gallery said despite Covid, they had gone from strength to strength and had hosted a number of acclaimed exhibitions.
“The KZNSA is gaining credibility as a place to find collectable art and artisanal products, we are also working on growing art sales through the distribution of exhibition catalogues and online retail, and we have been participating in local and international art fairs. It has been quite exciting.
“But our two big sources of income did not deliver in 2020/21: BUZZART income was far lower than previous years; and the café over the holiday season was quiet, then all but empty under the adjusted level 3 lockdown, and of course, we could not sell any alcohol. We are in the same boat as almost everyone in the sector, and doubt we will get any funding from the state and municipality. We have 254 members who each pay between R50 and R150 a year, so membership fees are not sufficient to sustain us.
"We need a cash injection of R500,000 to get us through the next few months, or we will close our doors, and those fun-filled events that we all remember so fondly will be over for good. We’ve done well to survive so far and are in the home straits but have run out of gas," management said.
With just over 13 500 followers on its social media platforms, the gallery is appealing to members to make a donation of R50 or R100 for three months at least.
Ways to donate:
Kwazulu Natal Society of Arts
FNB 62617599214
Branch 220226
Buy some art from an exhibition
https://www.kznsagallery.co.za/Exhibitions/View/991/commune
Donate as a VAT vendor
VAT-registered entities can receive an 18A tax exemption certificate. Please click here for a copy of an easy-to-use donation form. https://drive.google.com/.../17illQKBUoHVsARXvY8V.../view...