THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS (SANAVA) - Pretoria

Over the years, the Society has grown to become a national body of artists and lovers of the visual arts. The organisation proved its resilience despite several war-time situations and challenges of an economic, financial, social and political nature. Several name changes were due to follow: in 1871 it became the South African Fine Arts Association (SAFAA), in 1945 the South African Association of Arts (SAAA), and in 1998 the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA). Despite the name changes, the Association basically retained the same objectives as reflected in the original Constitution, that of promoting the visual arts in its widest context. One of SANAVA’s major objectives concerning the development of artists relates to the administration of three fully  

Show more

equipped artists’ studios, in the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. These were acquired during the early 1990s in terms of an occupational rights agreement, valid till 2060. SANAVA is an overall administrative body, serving autonomous branches and affiliated organisations (art galleries, museums, educational institutions and corporate bodies providing for the promotion of the visual arts) country-wide. Presently, the Association comprises 26 branches and 19 affiliated organisations, including two academic institutions in Mozambique (the National School of Visual Arts of Mozambique and the Portuguese School of Mozambique, both in Maputo). Its Constitution does not allow for individual artists directly to become members of the national association. They have to be members of a branch that is a member of the national body.