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Strauss & Co recognised with two Business and Arts South Africa Awards nominations

28 Aug 2018

South Africa’s leading fine art auction house was recognised in both the Development Award and Long-Term Partnership Award categories during an event to announce this year’s finalists held at Hollard’s Villa Arcadia.

Strauss & Co’s Development Award nomination recognises the impact of Pierneef: A Collector’s Passion – a specially curated exhibition at the 2017 Turbine Art Fair that drew on Pierneef works held in a private collection. Alongside educating new and existing arts buyers on the rewards of collecting, the exhibition was also the focus of a partnership with the Artist Proof Studio (APS) and ArtInsure. Built around lectures about Pierneef by Strauss & Co’s art specialists, as well as a printmaking initiative, the partnership resulted in the creation of prints in response to the exhibition. The work by APS’s emerging printmakers was then editioned, displayed and sold at the Turbine Art Fair.

“Investing in arts education is a core business value for us and we’re thrilled to be nominated for this education-orientated initiative,” says Strauss & Co Executive Director, Susie Goodman.

The Cassirer Welz Award earned Strauss & Co a nomination in the Long-Term Partnership Award category. Now in its seventh year, the award is a partnership between Strauss & Co, Everard Read and The Bag Factory Artists’ Studios that gives emerging artists an opportunity to showcase their talents to a broader audience.

Established with Nadine Gordimer in honour of her husband, art dealer Reinhold Cassirer, and also in memory of Strauss & Co founder, Stephan Welz, the award’s prize of a ten-week residency at The Bag Factory Artists’ Studios and an exhibition at the Everard Read Gallery has played an important role in the careers of artists like Blessing Ngobeni, Tshepo Mosopa, Nompumelelo Ngoma and Asanda Kupa. The impact of the Cassirer Welz Award can be seen in the recent establishment by previous winner Blessing Ngobeni of the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize, in partnership with the Bag Factory. The award will support a young, emerging artist with a twelve-week studio residency and solo exhibition at the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios.

“The Cassirer Welz Award was created to support emerging artists over the long-term and it’s wonderful to see Blessing continuing with that commitment,” comments Goodman. “Another of our core business values is investing in young talent and to be recognised for this with a BASA Awards nomination is gratifying – and contributes to the lasting legacy of this wonderful project.”