Die ontstaan, opbou en aftakeling van die Sasol Kunsmuseum van die Universiteit Stellenbosch The inception, rise and fall of the Sasol Art Museum of the University of Stellenbosch
Authors: Giliomee Jan 
Published: April 2022

OPSOMMING Die Sasol Kunsmuseum het in 1991 tot stand gekom om die kunsversameling van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (US) te huisves en akademies te bevorder. Die werke reeds in besit van die US is aangevul met groot skenkings soos dié van Solomon Caesar Malan, J du P Scholtz en Maggie Laubser. Groot oorsigversamelings van oeuvres soos deur Christo Coetzee (150-stuks), Nel Erasmus (112), Johannes Meintjes (91), en Larry Scully (10) is bekom. Skenkings en erflatings is selfs ook van buitelandse versamelaars ontvang, soos van die Duitser. Peter Freund (uiteindelik ongeveer 100 drukgrafiese werke van belangrike Europese en ander kunstenaars van die vroeë twintigste eeu), en van 'n Nederlandse besoeker die nodige fondse vir die aankoop van 'n kopbeeld in brons deur Rodin. Met die aanstelling van 'n nuwe Direkteur in 2013 het drastiese veranderings mettertyd begin plaasvind. Die name en beroepswerksaamhede van die instansies (Sasol Kunsmuseum en US Kunsgalery) as die belangrikste onderafdelings van die US Museum het letterlik verdwyn. Só ook die oorgrote meerderheid van bogenoemde kunswerke wat blykbaar meestal weggepak bly. Die fokus het verskuif van kunswaardering, -bevordering en -navorsing na 'n polities gemotiveerde transformasie, soos ook blyk uit die US Museum se aanstelling van 'n kurator vir sogenaamde Navorsing, Dialoog en Sosiale Geregtigheid. Hierdie instelling behoort sy akademiese roeping ten opsigte van die uitstalling, uitbreiding, bewaring en ontsluiting van sy belangrike en eersterangse estetiese bronnemateriaal vir die hedendaagse kunsgeskiedskrywing in Suid-Afrika sonder twyfel te bly navolg. ABSTRACT The Sasol Art Museum of the University of Stellenbosch (US) was established in 1991 to house the art collection of the US. At the time the US was already in possession of art pieces from various sources through the years. This included art works donated by students, the Solomon Caesar Malan and Maggie Laubser collections, and the comprehensive collection of Prof. Jdu P Scholtz of South African, European and exotic works of art. During the time of Prof. Muller Ballot as the first Director of the Museum, the collection grew rapidly with outstanding works of art. A number of large collections were donated by prominent artists, e.g. Christo Coetzee (150 items), Nel Erasmus (112), Johannes Meintjes (91) and Larry Scully (10), while bequests of valuable paintings were received from a number of supporters of the museum. Funds were bequeathed by an overseas visitor to buy a sculpture in bronze by the French artist Auguste Rodin. A number of prominent collectors also made donations from their collections, including Peter Freund from Germany who donated about 100 graphic works of important European artists of the early 20th century. With the appointment of a new Director in 2013, drastic changes started to take place. The name of the Sasol Art Museum as the prominent part of the US Museum disappeared and most of the acquired art works were moved to the storage room. The focus shifted from exhibiting artworks, art appreciation and art historical research to political transformation and social justice, as shown by the recent appointment of a Museum Curator: Research, Dialogue and Social Justice. This institution should not forsake its academic calling and should continue to strive to promote the exhibition, expansion, conservation, and study of visual art works as an important and top-ranking source of aesthetic material for research in art history as a present day discipline.