This Heritage month the Department of Sport, Art and Culture, is not only celebrating the cultural richness and diversity of our nation under the theme: Celebrating our living heritage: Strengthening the ties that bind us, but also highlights living heritage as a dynamic expression of identity, memory and belonging. Museums are celebrated as active, innovative spaces for community engagement, rather than quiet storage facilities, and they play a vital role in utilising national heritage as a practical tool to promote social cohesion, education, and economic inclusion.
So please gather your loved ones and join Oliewenhuis Art Museum from 9:00 – 15:00 for an assortment of enjoyable activities to celebrate Heritage Day. Wander through and enjoy the exhibitions on show in the Main Building and the Reservoir Gallery, where each exhibition is curated to captivate your imagination, challenge your perceptions, and inspire your creativity. As you explore these thoughtfully curated spaces, you’ll encounter a diverse array of artistic expressions and innovative concepts that invite you to engage deeply with the works on display.
The programme for the day includes a bird-ringing demonstration and interesting displays and activities from the National Museum. Watch Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s social media pages for exciting additions to the programme!
You are also welcome to relax and unwind together in Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s serene settings. Prepare a delightful picnic, and soak up the sun in the front garden, before or after appreciating the diverse exhibitions on show. A DJ will provide a variety of background music and there will be a few stalls to add to the celebrations. Take a leisurely stroll through the Sculpture Park or explore the walking trails. For the little ones, there’s the unique African Carousel, offering rides for just R5 each, ensuring that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable experience.
All attending is encouraged to wear heritage related and proudly South African attire.
The exhibitions on show are:
37th Annual Sophia Gray Memorial Exhibition: Spatial Tactics | SAVAGE + DODD Architects
Since 1989, The Department of Architecture at the University of the Free State hosted the Sophia Gray Memorial Lecture in honour of the first active professional architect in Bloemfontein, who was also the first woman architect in South Africa.
The laureates for this year are SAVAGE + DODD Architects.
Swing Time
An exhibition of contemporary art curated from the ArtbankSA’s Collection by Candice Thikeson, Project Manager of ArtbankSA. An upbeat exhibition, inspired by cultural festivities.
Launched on 12 December 2017, the Art Bank of South Africa (ArtbankSA) is a national programme of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and is hosted by the National Museum Bloemfontein, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The ArtbankSA is tasked with purchasing artworks from South African artists, particularly that of emerging artists to lease and sell the artworks.
A Touch of Red. Women in struggle, Memory and Expression.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum and the National Museum are proud to present A Touch of Red, a Women’s Day exhibition exploring the lives, histories and resilience of women through art and historical photography.
“Each touch of red becomes both a memorial and a promise,” the curatorial statement reads, “to remember those who came before us, to stand with those who face injustice today, and to ensure that future generations inherit a world worthy of the strength embodied in the words, Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo”- you strike a woman, you strike a rock.
The exhibition features archival photographs and artworks from the following collections: the Collections Management & Library Department of the National Museum, the Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection, the McGregor Museum, the War Museum, the Mayibuye Archives, the Drum Archives (african.pictures) and ArtbankSA Contemporary Collection. It was conceptualised and realised by three female curators: Sudré Havenga, Head of Department: Collections Management & Library, Carien van Eck, Graphic Designer/ Artist: Design Department, and Yolanda de Kock, Collections Manager: Oliewenhuis Art Museum.
Sculpture Park and Cement and Mosaic Project
Venue: Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Gardens)
Visitors can also enjoy the museum’s Sculpture Park, which houses 16 sculptures by various South African artists as well as the functional sculptures created as part of the Cement and Mosaic Project.
Event Details:
- Date: Thursday, 24 September 2026
- Time: 9:00 to 15:00
- Venue: Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein
- Parking fee: R10 per vehicle. Cash only.
- African Carousel rides: R5 per ride per child. Cash only.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00. Please note that the main gate closes to new arrivals at 16:00 on weekdays and 15:00 on weekends; however, visitors already inside are welcome to enjoy the museum until closing time. A ramp at the entrance of the main entrance provides access for wheel chairs, while a lift provides access to the Permanent Collection display areas on the 1st floor. R10 parking fee will be charged but entrance to the museum is free.
For more information on Oliewenhuis Art Museum please contact the Museum at 078 968 4300 or oliewen@nasmus.co.za. Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and X for all upcoming exhibitions and events.
