from the Tatham Art Gallery Outline: September to December 2007
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I am pleased to report that there will be an Echo Craft Bazaar this year and sad to report that it will be the last in which the Gallery is directly involved. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, we are an art museum with prescribed museological functions. We have found that the bazaar takes up an enormous amount of staff time and energy to the detriment of our essential "behind-the-scenes" work. We may appear to be cool, calm and collected - but the only way we maintain that is through a huge amount of planning and activity which our "customers" are never aware of. Secondly, despite every effort, we have been unable to establish a permanent post for the Bazaar Manager, Phumzile Sithole, on the municipal staffing structure. It is unfair to expect Phumzile to continue working indefinitely on a contract basis without the benefits attaching to a permanent appointment. She leaves us at the end of December or earlier if she finds a suitable position.
We are very grateful for the support the bazaar has received over the years, from both buyers and sponsors. Financially it has always been successful given generous sponsorship, particularly of The Witness Echo and Business and Art South Africa (BASA). The Witness has undertaken to continue its support of future bazaars.
Whilst the Gallery doesn't have staff capacity to cope with the additional burden of an annual bazaar, we plan to expand the activities of the Tatham Shop through support of and assistance to a small number of selected crafters as an ongoing initiative. This has worked well with Eunice Cele and her new range of beaded jewellery. We are confident that assertive marketing of high quality craft already stocked by the shop will increase turnover and therefore more regular earnings of individual crafters. Watch out for details of the Tatham Shop's pre-Christmas bonanza!
We welcomed our new Education Officer, Thulani Makhaye, in mid-July and sadly had to bid farewell to Kobie Venter as an official, if temporary, employee. Kobie has been essential in building a very caring ethos in our dealings with "customers". We are looking at ways and means of keeping our contact with her flourishing.
New lessees have been appointed to run the Gallery's coffee shop from 4 September. We look forward to welcoming David and Michelle Walters and their team.
Everyone is as frustrated as we are about the parking situation at the Gallery. Please be assured that we are doing all in our power to improve the situation. It is a top priority that our visitors have adequate safe parking.
On behalf of the Friends of the Tatham Art Gallery (FOTAG) I ask you to support their fund raising auction project in November in association with Cannon and Cannon at the Quarry Centre in Hilton. The idea is that you place unwanted art works, objets d'art, jewellery, furniture, etc. on Cannon's November auction. You may donate a percentage or the entire proceeds to FOTAG. This will enable FOTAG to purchase works for the Gallery's permanent collection.
Ngiyathokokza ukunazisa ukuthi sizoba nayo iEcho Craft Bazaar kulonyaka yize noma lena kuzoba ngeyokugcina ezosingathwa ITatham Art Gallery.Zimbili izizathu zalokho: Okokuqala, thina siyindawo yokugcina imisebenzi engamagugu yamaciko ngaphansi kwemithetho ebekelwe izindawo zokugcina amagugu.Sithole ukuthi iBazaar ithatha isikhathi esiningi futhi ifaka nengicindezi kubasebenzi bethu ngamalungiselelo ayo.Singabukeka singabantu abakwaziyo ukumelana kanye nokuhlela izinto , yingoba sigcina esiningi isikhathi senzela abathengi lokho okuseqophelweni eliphezulu.Okwesibili ngaphezu kwemizamo yethu sihlulekile ukutholela umdidiyeli wayo, uPhumzile Sithole isikhundla sokuyihlanganisa ngokugcwele ngaphansi koMkhandlu.Ngaleyondlela,sikubone kungekhoqotho nakuyena uPhumzile ukusebenza engenawo amalungelo agcwele njengabasebenzi bonke bomkhandlu. Uzosishiya-ke ekupheleni konyaka.
Siyalubonga uxhaso enisinike lona kuleminyaka edlule kwiBazaar.Ngokwezimali yona ibenempumelelo enkulu,sibonge abathengi bemisebenzi yezandla kanye nabaxhasi bethu;i-The Witness Echo ne Business and Art South Africa (BASA). IThe Witness ithembise ukuqhubeka nokuxhasa kanye nokuzimbandakanya nayo i-Bazaar.
Yize noma i-Gallery ingenabo abasebenzi abanele ukwenza umsebenzi owengeziwe kwi Bazaar sethule uhlelo laphosizokwandisa imisebenzi yezandla esitolo sethu ngokusebenzisana neqoqo labenzi balemsebenzi elizodayisa ngqo esitolo sethu.Loluhlelo njengamanje siluzame ngempumelelo no Eunice Cele owenza ubuhlalu abudayisele lapha esitolo sethu.Sithemba ukuthi uhlelo olunjengalolu lungalekelela ekuxosheni ikati eziko.
Lindela-ke indumezulu yendali yethu yemisebenziyezandla yokwandulela ukhisimuzi.
Samukele ilunga elisha kwezemfundo nokufundisa, u Thulani Makhaye oqale maphakathi nenyanga ka July.Lokho sekuchaza ukuthi, sithi ndlela-nhle ku -Kobie Venter, obeyingxenye enkulu phakathi kwethu naba'thengi'bethu. Siyohlala sixhumana naye njalo. Isitolo sethu se khofi sithole abaqashi abasha okungo- David no Michelle Walters.Sizoqala ukusebenza ziwu 04 September. Siyathokoza futhi siyabamukela bona nabasizi babo.
Wonke umuntu akaphathekile kahle ngesimo sokuma kwezimoto emagcekeni aseGalari.Siyakuqinisekisa ukuthi senza konke okusemandleni ethu ukulungisa lesimo.Siyathanda ukuthi abavakasheli bethu bazizwe bephephile.
Egameni labahlobo bethu i-FOTAG,siyanxusa ukuthi nisixhase endalini yethu kawonke-wonke sibambisene nabakwa Cannon ne Cannon Quarry Centre e-Hilton.Ingqikithi yalendali ukuthi umuntu alethe lokho angasakudingi okungaba yi-:midwebo,okohlobisa,okokuhloba,ifenisha nokunye. Unganikela ngenxenye yenzuzo yakho.Lomnikelo ulekelela abahlobo bethu (FOTAG) ukuthi bakwazi ukusithengela imisebenzi yobuciko ezoba ngeyase-Galari.