City’s art galleries and museums reopen

CAPE Town’s art lovers are painting the town red again as the city’s galleries and museums reopen.

First Thursdays, the popular initiative that promotes culture and art on the first Thursday of every month in the CBD, announced it will resume from September 3.

“The programme will be limited, with just a handful of galleries and other venues open on the night,” said co-founder and co-ordinator Gareth Pearson.

“We want to ensure First Thursdays can happen safely before expanding the programme. If all goes well, we expect more venues to get on board from the October edition.”

Some of the venues participating include the Cape Gallery, Eclectica Contemporary, Nel, and the Association for Visual Arts Gallery.

“From our engagement with them, most businesses are keen to open and get feet through the door again. Some are still not rushing into anything. Understandably, there’s a concern around safety, but galleries and retail stores are generally spacious and are able to control the flow of customers to ensure social distancing.”

He said First Thursday was significant not only for central city businesses, but suppliers and service providers which benefited from the event.

“Now more than ever, these businesses need the public’s support, and we hope that we can help accelerate the rejuvenation of the central city economy.”

The Norval Foundation also opens on Wednesday, with a maximum visitor capacity of 50 people.

“We have done a lot of work to make sure the museum is safe for visitors and staff,” said e chief executive, Elana Brundyn.

“Restrictions are not too hard to follow. These include face-covering, social distancing, advanced ticket sales and no touch point, etc. With 50 visitors in the museum at a given moment, everyone is treated as a VIP. There will be single direction floor markings and barriers, but nothing will distract from the visual appeal of the space or interfere with the exhibitions.”

Meanwhile, other venues such as the Stevenson Gallery and Goodman Gallery operated by appointment. A Steven Gallery representative said the venue was reviewing a reopening date .

The District Six Museum is also open for appointment with staff returning next month. Acting director Chrischene Julius said: “We cannot deny that international tourists were important to sustaining our operational costs, but we hope the domestic tourism market shows growth and enthusiasm in the summer months.”

Zeitz MOCAA museum remains closed until further notice.