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The African Art Centre is a non profit organization (Section 21)

The African Art Centre   was established under the auspices of the SA Institute of Race Relations since 1959, it became an autonomous non-profit organization in 1982 and from small beginnings, has a well established reputation for taking KwaZulu-Natal Black artists and craftspeople seriously and has the following aims:

  • to provide an outlet for promoting and selling their work
  • to provide incentives for artists and craftspeople
  • to assist individuals and self-help projects to provide an income for rural and urban people
  • to help promote young and established artists/craftspeople by accessing funding  for training, development and for exhibitions/ displays and publicity
  • to discover, encourage and nurture works of creativity, originality and superb quality
  • to communicate and document contemporary trends in African art and craft
  • to preserve our cultural heritage

The African Art Centre has a reputation, within South Africa

The Centre is consulted by Public Galleries, Educational Institutions and the public, for information on artists/craftspeople and projects.
The Centre is one of the main sources from which provincial, national and international art collections, private and public, purchase for their respective collections.

From the time of its initiation in 1959, the African Art Centre started its own unique collection of fine art, artifacts of national heritage importance and documentation dating back to 1959.  This collection now is known as  THE JO THORPE COLLECTION and has been donated to THE CAMPBELL COLLECTIONS  (of the University of KwaZulu Natal) now housed at Dr. Killie Campbell’s residence “Muckleneuk” at 220 Marriott Road Durban.  This is available for study and to view by appointment.