More than 3 900 people have signed a petition by Monday afternoon to ensure the future of Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery and Clay Museum at the historic Rust-en-Vrede building in Durbanville. This after the City of Cape Town indicated recently that it does not want to renew its lease agreement with Durbanville Cultural Society for the use of the historic Rust-en-Vrede building.
However, the City has since last week’s article (“Galery dalk in gedrang”, TygerBurger 25-06) changed its stance, stating that it “intends to conclude a management agreement with Durbanville Cultural Society”, subject to approval.
This came after the community, arts and culture development department stated in a report at the Subcouncil 7 meeting that it does not want to renew the lease of Rust-en-Vrede Gallery and Clay Museum as the department wants to use the premises for a new arts, culture and heritage facility.
Department apologises
“As stated previously, Rust-en-Vrede is critical to Cape Town’s arts and culture ecosystem. The City’s community, arts and culture development department apologises for any confusion or ambiguity that may have arisen as a result of the processes that are currently underway,” a City spokesperson says.
He explains further: “The lease with Durbanville Cultural Society has expired. While the property transaction department initiated the renewal process, the community, arts and culture development department has since submitted a reservation request for the property and intends to conclude a management agreement with the society. This process is still underway,” according to the City spokesperson.
Standard practice
“It is standard practice to apply for a renewal upon expiry of a lease. The appointment of an operator is one process. Concurrently, a second process is underway to assign a City department that will be responsible for the property,” the spokesman says.
“In terms of council-owned properties, the City is designated as the asset owner, the property transactions department is the asset custodian and a line department (in this case, the community, arts and culture development department) has requested to be appointed as the accountable asset user, which will be responsible for managing operators and facility management agreements for the property. It is important to note that the department does not intend to take over the facility. It will simply be responsible for overseeing the continued provision of arts, culture and heritage related services at the premises,” according to the City spokesperson. The reservation report will be tabled at the subcouncil meeting on 18 August.
Standing firm
In their pledge for people to sign their petition, the team of Durbanville Cultural Society says they are “standing firm for our artists and our community amidst this uncertainty”.
“We have followed the correct procedures and formally submitted a proposal to the City to remain the operator of this historic and much-loved heritage site. We have received written confirmation of our submission. However, the recent proposal by the City’s arts and culture branch to Subcouncil 7 seems to convey a preconceived outcome. For self-evident reasons related to substantive and procedural fairness, we cannot accept this quietly,” Hamlin Jansen van Vuuren, senior curator, says in the petition on behalf of the society.
Longstanding commitment
“The Durbanville Cultural Society is preparing Rust-en-Vrede’s 40th anniversary celebrations for 2026. As part of our anniversary celebrations, we have a full programme planned, including the second South African Clay Awards and the third Junior Portrait Award. These events reflect our longstanding commitment to both emerging artists and established masters, and to growing a culture of artistic excellence in South Africa,” Jansen van Vuuren says in the petition.
“We also want to reassure all artists the Portrait Award 2025 will go ahead as planned. We thank each artist who has entered — your creativity, courage, and commitment are what keep this institution alive.
“Rust-en-Vrede is not only a gallery, it is also home to the only dedicated clay museum in South Africa. This museum honours the ceramic arts through exhibitions, education and a growing permanent collection that serves artists, learners, and collectors alike,” she says.
“In recognition of its contribution to the field, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery & Clay Museum is an affiliate member of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) – a prestigious global network affiliated with Unesco, devoted to excellence in the ceramic arts. This international acknowledgement affirms the importance of our work and the value of this institution within the broader arts ecosystem,” Jansen van Vuuren says in the petition.
“Should we lose our place at Rust-en-Vrede, the clay museum will lose its only physical home, threatening the preservation and continued growth of this nationally significant collection.
“Three national art competitions – the Portrait Award, Junior Portrait Award, and South African Clay Awards – will be displaced, risking the loss of platforms that provide international exposure to South African artists.
Face job loss
“A range of art outreach projects among communities in and around Durbanville will be placed in jeopardy. Tenants and art teachers, who have poured years of skill and passion into this space, will be left without studios or classrooms – disrupting education, creativity, and livelihoods.
“Support staff employed by tenants will face job loss, affecting families who depend on these incomes. An established arts institution, which has shaped and served the Western Cape’s cultural identity for nearly four decades, will be pushed aside after a lifetime of contribution,” she says.
Cultural lifeline
“The gardens, restored and maintained by local NPO Christen Aksie Netwerk (CAN), may fall into neglect — undoing years of volunteer-driven beautification that the public enjoys daily. Public donations to CAN, used to maintain and improve the grounds, will be lost – silencing a community effort that has directly benefited Durbanville residents.
“Rust-en-Vrede is more than just a gallery. It is a cultural lifeline. A classroom. A launchpad. A legacy. Help us ensure it remains a part of Durbanville’s future,” Jansen van Vuuren urges.
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