Society breathes its aspirations, devastations and dreams through the arts. In times of political oppression or social dysfunction, art is often the most common medium by which dissent and truth are told. And it is for this reason that the artist is often marginalized or silenced.

Art has played a central role in the drama of South Africa’s story line from the days of Apartheid to the present days of independence. Government sought means to ban every creative expression against the dominating political system. Art went underground on one level and on another oblique art emerged that told the stories of oppression while evading government detection. The government meanwhile sought to use art to manipulate public opinion about the Apartheid system. Funds were spent to build large monuments that celebrated the formal policy of separation. Architects were commissioned to create public spaces, such as the Taal Monument, to inspire a vision of a society that would be the final statement of human social achievement—the Apartheid system. National museums and art galleries were hung with art that depicted black communities as entirely tribal and distinct from contemporary white South Africa. The national museum in Cape Town juxtaposed depictions of tribal life with the same era of dinosaurs. And sanctioned black art showed the proverbial happy black musician without a care.

The South Africa Community Fund believes that a thriving culture of art is essential to sustained peace building efforts. Through song, dance, sculpture, theatre, poetry and the visual arts, artists tell us what is wrong with us as a community and what is right about us as a community. Art can remind of us our humanity, our past sins, our current doublespeak, our vulnerabilities and our myths. Artists have a way of painting emperors without their clothes.

The South Africa Community Fund supports local art programs and seeks ways to identify and nurture emerging art voices in the nation. The hope is to sustain the enduring, critical voice of the artist in time of social transformation. The Community Fund also offers internships for artists who want to study the contemporary and apartheid eras of art in South Africa. (See Internship for more details).