Art News South Africa

Artistic tribute to Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela Bay unveiled an R11-million artistic tribute to former President Nelson Mandela on Heritage Day, 24 September 2011. The tribute comprises works from 70 dedicated artists who spent ours working on it.

Known as Route 67 it is a heritage walk that runs from Central Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage and shows off a total of 67 artworks depicting struggle icons and exhibits relating to the city's heritage.

The project was the initiative of the Mandela Bay Development Agency, which commissioned 67 different pieces from artists and students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

According to Nelson Mandela Bay tourism head, Mandilikazi Skefile, the route is expected to boost tourism as the city battles to attract tourists to its main attractions of Bayworld and The Apple Express.

He says that people can walk along the route and witness the strong sense of heritage coupled with the rich colonial history of the Eastern Cape area. The project is part of the Donkin Reserve upgrade and it cost R11-million to complete.

It runs from the Campanile through Donkin Reserve, the Athenaeum, South End to Uitenhage and the Red Location Museum.

Read the full article on www.peherald.com.
Read more about the Mandela Bay Development Agency.

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