The Pretoria Art Museum celebrated its 60th year of existence last week with various exhibitions and free entrance for all. Pretoria Art Museum curator Hannelie du Plessis said there was a good turnout from the public as part of the museum’s 60th celebration week. She added the museum experiences busier times during exhibitions or school tours.

“Group exhibitions also draw bigger crowds versus a solo exhibition. But there’s always something going on in one of our five galleries,” she said. Museums ‘not out of fashion’ Local artist Dani Wales said museums are not out of fashion and are more than just mere buildings to house historical artefacts and collections of artworks.

ALSO READ: Don’t miss this exhibition at Apartheid Museum “As an artist myself, I don’t only create work to be admired by people in the present, but I focus on the story it’ll still tell 100 years from now,” she said. Wales is opening her own gallery next month and said both galleries and museums serve a greater purpose of educating future generations about past cultural indifferences, societal struggles and the journey South Africa’s forefathers had to take to get to where the country is today. “It is incredibly important to preserve art pieces from different periods to give us a perspective of how our world and environment got to where it is today, and perhaps awaken a desire in all of us to shape a better future,” she added.

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