Wie was P.J. Olivier van die kunssentrum?
Hierdie week het ek besluit om bietjie by my alma mater in te loer, die PJ Olivier kunssentrum langs die braak.
Meeste Stellenbosser sou al iewers van die kunssentrum gehoor het – dit is die plek waar al die hoërskole op die dorp, insluitend Bloemhof, Paul Roos Gimnasium en Rhenish Girls High gaan vir kuns-en-kultuur, en ook waar ekstra-kurrikulêre kuns vir kinders vanaf Gr 1 aangebied word. Tans is daar ‘n groot twee-jaarlikse uitstalling van leerlingewerk by die sentrum. Die uitstalling is nog drie weke aan, so gaan maak ‘n draai as jy kan. Daar is werke uit elkeen van die dissiplines: beeldhou, fotografie, illustrasie, keramiek, tekstiel, skilderkuns en ook juweliersontwerp.
DIE GEBOU – ‘n STUKKIE ERFENIS
Die gebou waarin die kunsskool P.J Olivier die afgelope 50 jaar gehuisves is, was oorspronklik die eiendom van die Rynse sendingsgenootskap, en vorm deel van wat bekendstaan as die Rynse kompleks of Rhenish complex – daar is ‘n kaart daarvan op Stellenboschheritage.co.za. Meeste van die geboue rondom die braak het aan die Rynse sendingsgenootskap behoort. Op die kunsskool se webtuiste verduidelik hul:
In 1967 the Art Centre moved to its current location in Blom Street, on the historical Braak. The buildings which house the Art Centre have been declared a national monument and are regarded as one of the historical treasures of Stellenbosch. The original single story building was built before 1817. Additions to enlarge it were made between 1880 and 1890. These additions were made in order to house the growing Rhenish Institute. The Annex building which was previously used to house the classrooms and school hall of the Rhenish Institute was built in 1905.
Die eerste tuiste van die kunsskool was in Fernbank Villa in Van Riebeeck Street, ‘n straat met vele stories.
SO WAT BETEKEN ‘RYNS’ OF ‘RHENISH’?
Die oorsprong van hierdie woord is eintlik heel logies! Dit verwys na die Rhein of Rhine in Europa, ‘n rivier wat vanuit die Alpe vloei en in die see by Nederland uitmond (sien die kaart onder). Ek vermoed die woord Rhein in Rhenish is dieselfde as in die naam ‘Rembrandt van Rijn‘ – dit verwys na iemand wat langs die Rijn woon.
Die Rynse sendinggenootskap was die grootste sendingssorganisasie in Duitsland, en hul eerste sendelinge is na Suid Afrika toe gestuur in 1828 (Whuppertal in die Cederberge was hul eerste nedersetting). Duits-Wes Afrika, vandag Namibië, is later deur die Duitse sendelinge gekoloniseer.
In Stellenbosch het die Rynse sendelinge ook ‘n groot impak gemaak, veral op die gebied van onderwys. Ek het ‘n ruk terug ‘n kort blog geskryf oor Mr Alheit en Mr Knoop (of Knab), twee van die eerste onderwysers in Stellenbosch: Alheit en Knoop – Onderwysers met klas.
Nog twee invloedryke Duitsers was hul merk gelaat het op Stellenbosch is Juffernbruch, na wie ‘n straat in Idasvallei vernoem is, en P.D. Lückhoff na wie Hoërskool Lückhoff vernoem is. Hoërskool Luckhoff was oorspronklik in Banhoekweg, maar a.g.v. die groepsgebiedewet is die skool verskuif na die buitewyke van die dorp. In 2007 het die Universiteit ‘n versoeningsgeleentheid gehou waar die ou skool teruggegee is aan die mense van die gemeenskap.
SO WIE WAS PJ OLIVIER ?
Philippus J. Olivier (1901-1958) was op nsy tyd administrateur van die ou Kaap provinsie en het baie hospitale, skole en ander instansies opgerig. Hy was nie self in die kunste nie, maar het landbou op Stellenbosch studeer en later ook in Sydney, in Australië. Hy was eers ‘n boer en, toe hy omtrent 40 jaar oud was, het hy die politiek betree. Die Afrikaanse hoërskool op Grahamstad is ook na hom vernoem.
As jy geinteresseerd is in die skolegeskiedenis van Stellenbosch, lees ons blogs oor Mancadan of oor die Ou Bloemhof skool.
My eie pad as kunstenaar is liefdevol ingekleur deur die PJ Olivier kunsskool, en ek sal enigiemand aanbeveel om hul kinders daarheen te stuur. Of begin met kuns al is jy ‘n volwassene!
Artikel en fotos: Y Coetsee 2017
This week I decided to visit my alma mater, the PJ Olivier art center on the braak.
Most Stellenbossers would have heard of the art center, as that is where all the high schools in town, including Bloemhof, Paul Roos Gymnasium and Rhenish Girls High go for arts and culture, and also where extra curricular art is taught from Grade 1. At the moment the school has a large bi-annual exhibition of student work. The exhibition is still on for three weeks, so visit it if you can! The artworks range from sculpture, photography, illustration, ceramics, textiles, painting to jewelry design.
THE BUILDING – A PIECE OF HISTORY
The old PJ Olivier building belonged to the Rhenish Missionary Society and is historically part of what is known as the Rynse kompleks or Rhenish complex – find a map on Stellenboschheritage.co.za. Most of the buildings around the Braak belonged to the Missionary Society. From the art school’s website:
The first home of the art school was in Fernbank Villa in Van Riebeeck Street, a street with many stories.
SO WHAT DOES ‘RYNS’ OR ‘RHENISH’ MEAN?
The origin of this word is actually quite obvious! It refers to the Rhine of Rhein in Europe, a river that flows from the Alps and into the sea at the Netherlands (see the map below). I suspect the word Rhein in Rhenish has the same roots as ‘Rembrandt van Rijn‘ – referring to someone who lives near the Rhine.
The Rhine Missionary Society was the largest missionary organization in Germany, and their first missionaries were sent to South Africa in 1828. Whuppertal in the Cederberge was their first settlement. Duits-Wes Afrika, today Namibia, was later colonized by the German missionaries.
The Rhenish settlers also had a big impact in Stellenbosch, especially in the field of education. I wrote a short blog about Mr Alheit and Mr Knoop (or Knab), two of the first teachers in Stellenbosch: Alheit and Knoop – onderwysers met klas.
Two other influential Rhenish Missionaries in Stellenbosch were Juffernbruch (a street in Idas Valley was named after him), and P.D. Lückhoff, who inspired the name Lückhoff High School. Luckhoff High School was originally in Banhoek Road, but because of the group area act was moved to the outskirts of the town. In 2007 the University hosted a reconciliation event where the building was returned to the people of the community.
SO WHO WAS PJ OLIVIER?
Philippus J. Olivier (1901-1958) was an Administrator of the old Cape province and founded many hospitals, schools and other institutions. He was not himself an artist, but studied agriculture in Stellenbosch and later in Sydney, Australia. He worked as farmer and, when he was about 40 years old, entered the political arena. The Afrikaans High School in Grahamstown was also named after him.
If you are interested in the history of schools in Stellenbosch, read our blogs about Mancadan or the Old Bloemhof school.
My own journey as artist was deeply inspired and impacted by the PJ Olivier art school, and I’ll recommend the center to anyone (and it’s never to late to start). Remember that you can rent out the art center as a function venue.
Stellenbosch – die storie van die saagmeule
D.J. Opperman – Winter in Stellenbosch