A calendar for 2008

Selected by
SHERIDAN GRISWOLD | Friday November 16, 2007 00:00

It is the season for purchasing calendars for 2008 as gifts, and for your walls, even, if so arranged, as an appointment reminder. 

The premier calendar for many years in Botswana is that from the Kuru Art Project, which began in 1990. The project now has 20 members; seven of them were new in 2005. The 'Art of the Kalahari' 2008 calendar has 28 pages and sells for P100 each.

The 'Art of the Kalahari 2008' devotes 24 pages to the months plus four additional pages of information about the project outside Gantsi. It all provides spaces (but relatively small) to write notes. It follows the same format as last year that people seem to like. 

For 2008 it contains detailed descriptions of each of the eleven artists (not thirteen as two repeat). The majority of the reproductions are from original colour linoleum prints.

There are two from oils on canvas and two from lithographs.

1-Art of the Kalahari cover painting by Xgaiga Qhomatcha, 'The Elephant and the Rain' (here). Xgaiga Qhomatcha is around 50-years old.  His painting in oils on canvas is about when the elephant wanted to be friends with the rain.

2-Art of the Kalahari month of  February 'African Dreams' by Ditiro Makwena (here)
Ditiro Makwena grew up in Gantsi. He was adopted by San parents. His adoptive father encouraged his artistic bent. He has been with Kuru for two years. In his print, the animals, birds, river and wind make music together. There is laughter in his story.

In the next reproduction, Coex'ae Qqam a.k.a Dada, a founding member of the Kuru Art Project and one of the most famous, shows a fungus that is used to start fires and a Herero woman.

3-Art of the Kalahari month of June 'Herero Woman and the Tinder Plant' by Coex'ae Qqam a.k.a Dada (here).

The print that follows is by X'aga Tcuixgap and is called 'All Animals and People will Live Peacefully Together'. She remembers the fire circles and dances of the past. She longs for all animals and people to coexist in peace and harmony.

4-Art of the Kalahari month of July 'All Animals and People will Live Peacefully Together' by X'aga Tcuixgap (here).

'The Sounds of the Kalahari I' by Thamae Kaashea is next. Thamae joined Kuru when he was 21 and has been with them for 16 years. This print features baboons eating sour plums. He also is attuned to the music of nature.

5-Art of the Kalahari month of September  'The Sounds of the Kalahari I' by Thamae Kaashea (here).

The Kuru Family of Organisations (KFO) has been celebrating 21-years of activities in Botswana. The beginnings were small, first starting in 1983 in D'Kar on a farm acquired in the late 1960s through the support of the independent Dutch Reformed Church. For various reasons, the Kuru Development Trust was not registered as an independent community-based NGO until 1986. The preschool, crafts, leatherwork and drip-irrigation gardens all dated from then.

On the 7th of November an exhibit about Kuru was opened in the main gallery and the octagon at the National Museum and Art Gallery. If you have never had the opportunity to see the original work of the Kuru artists now is your chance. The exhibit is scheduled to close on the 21st of November (only two weeks). Kuru can be found in 50 San communities and also operates in South Africa. The Bokomoso Trust promotes early childhood training. It is based at D'Kar and has close ties with the Naro language project and supports mother tongue learning.

The Kuru D'Kar Trust works with the 1,500 inhabitants of D'Kar to promote health, education and development projects. They also are involved in the hostel at D'Kar and the Dqae Qare Game Farm nearby (that offers hospitality and programme for tourists).

The Kuru Art Project functions under its umbrella too. Gantsi Crafts is now a member of KFO. There are 700 producers in 15 San communities 85 percent of whom are women who make the crafts. There is a sales gallery and a craft museum in Gantsi. San Arts and Crafts also helps promote San art and is a member of the International Fair Trade Association. The Kumku Trust works to promote self-reliance and sustainable development in San communities. It also carries out research, has a youth programme and an HIV and AIDS programme. 

In northern Ngamiland, the Letloa Trust and the Tocadi Trust are based at Shakawe. The Letloa trust is a 'net' or support organization to help assist the other members of the KFO. It raises funds and provides leadership and training. It runs two support centres, one concerned with community-based natural resources and the other with community health. In addition, Letloa runs a culture and education support unit to assist pupils, students and others.

The KFO link in South Africa is SASI or the South African San Institute. It has a number of advocacy programmes, legal, cultural and language development. It is active in the Northern Cape and also has art and tourism projects. None of the San languages in South Africa are recognised (even though the words on the national emblem are in San).

In Botswana, there are 16 San languages and here too they are marginalised. Further information on Kuru Art and their activities can be had: maude@botsnet.bw. Or see www.kuru.co.bw.