The deadline for the Reinhold Cassirer Award, funded by Nadine Gordimer, is fast approaching.
From the Press Release: “The Reinhold Cassirer award at the Bag Factory offers an emerging South African artist, in the field of drawing or painting, under the age of 35 the opportunity to spend a period of approximately three months at the Bag Factory’s studios. The award will provide the recipient with the opportunity to interact with the established artists resident at the Bag Factory and consequentially offers the opportunity for an expanded professional network and a greater understanding of art in Johannesburg and in South Africa. This programme is intended to help stimulate growth in the awarded artists’ career. It does not offer financial profit. Reinhold Cassirer was born in 1908 in Berlin into a distinguished family. His father, Hugo Cassirer was an industrialist. Hugo’s brothers were Ernst Cassirer, the renowned philosopher and Paul Cassirer, an art dealer and collector who introduced the French impressionists to Germany. Reinhold and his wife immigrated to South Africa in 1935. He worked then with a mining engineering firm that had been a client of his father’s factory. In 1939 at the outbreak of war he volunteered to join the South African army, eager to fight against the Nazis. He did not yet have South African citizenship but was accepted on guarantees from the eminent South African lawyer, Vernon Berrange. On his return to South Africa he ran a mining engineering business for some years until the chairman of Sotheby’s in London, who knew of the Cassirer family’s knowledge of art, appointed him to open a branch of Sotheby’s in South Africa. He worked there for 10 years, from February 1969 through 1979. A year later, in 1980, he opened his own gallery, Cassirer Fine Art and exhibited the work in particular of a number of South African artists, black and white until his retirement. These included William Kentridge, David Koloane, Sam Nhlengethwa, Deborah Bell and Karel Nel. Cassirer also played a major role in bringing Gerard Sekoto’s work to South Africa. Reinhold and Nadine Gordimer were married in 1954. He died in October 2001. How will artists apply for the Cassirer award? Applicants will be expected to submit (preferably by email): a single A4-page typed motivation, including personal details and outlining reasons why the artists believes he or she deserves the award. a representative portfolio of the artist’s work including at least three original works and no more than 15, preferably by email. Images should not be larger than 300 kilobytes and each email no larger than two megabytes. (Please note that the Bag Factory does not accept responsibility for loss and damage of applications received by post and courier, and will not return slides unless accompanied by return postage and a suitable envelope/package. Please do not send original works.) the artist’s curriculum vitae a copy of the artist’s South African IDApplications must be sent to with Application: The Reinhold Cassirer Award 2011in the subject line; or courier to Application: The Reinhold Cassirer Award 2011 The Bag Factory Artists Studios10 Mahlatini StreetFordsburgJhb2001 Please go to www.bagfactoryart.org.za to review the artist requirements as well as what the award encompasses. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS 31 MAY 2011 THE WINNER OF THE AWARD WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 20 JUNE 2011”
