KIMBERLEY – The William Humphreys Art Gallery (WHAG) in Kimberley has been awarded the Outstanding Museum Award in the Heritage category at the second annual National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA).
Held at Sun City’s Super Bowl on Friday, 22 August, this prestigious recognition was a first for WHAG, which was shortlisted alongside esteemed institutions including the KwaZulu-Natal Museum and the War Museum of the Boer Republics.
At the event, WHAG was represented by Malikah Meyer, assistant curator, and Lelethu Sobekwa, creative writing intern.
“The William Humphreys Art Gallery will continue to strive to be a museum of excellence, both nationally and internationally,” remarked Meyer.
Chief curator Chepape Makgato added: “This award affirms our role as a dynamic national museum. We are deeply grateful to our council members, management, and media partners who continually amplify our work beyond the walls of our museum.
“Their support ensures that the voices and visions we showcase in Kimberley resonate across the country and the world. We remain committed to building new collaborations and are open to more partnerships that will take the work we do as a national museum even further.”
One of three national art museums
WHAG, an entity of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is one of three national art museums in the country, and the only one in the Northern Cape. The Iziko Museum in Cape Town and the National Museum in Bloemfontein are the other two national art museums.
The award-giving ceremony was recorded live to be broadcast on SABC1, and shone a national spotlight on the extraordinary storytellers, performers, and visionaries who continue to shape South Africa’s cultural identity.
Nominations for NACA 2025 were open nationwide from 5 May to 30 June, with individuals and groups invited to nominate outstanding institutions and artists across a range of categories in the cultural and creative industries sector. The final nominees were revealed on 5 August.
Meyer said WHAG’s nomination was supported by multiple submissions from the public and substantiated by the museum’s recent exhibitions, community outreach programmes, and education initiatives. The award recognises WHAG’s ongoing commitment to curatorial excellence, innovation and accessibility.
Also, the museum will continue to preserve and interpret South Africa’s rich art history while creating spaces for dialogue, contemporary art development and empowerment, and social cohesion.
“The arts remain one of the most powerful forces in society; they carry our history, express our present, and inspire our future. As a nation, the arts are not only a source of pride but also a driver of unity, healing, and progress. They preserve traditions, open doors for innovation, and remind us of who we are while showing the world the depth of South Africa’s creativity,” WHAG stated.
Apart from a permanent art collection, the museum hosts a variety of exhibitions on a regular basis. Several activities, including art classes, are presented, and a museum library is available for public use.
- The museum, situated at 1 Cullinan Crescent opposite the Oppenheimer Gardens in Kimberley, is open Mondays to Fridays from 08:00 to 16:30; Saturdays from 09:00 to 14:00; and public holidays from 09:00 to 12:00.
- Dial 053 831 1724/5 and visit whag.co.za or William Humphreys Art Gallery on Facebook for more information.
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