THE KOUGA ART SOCIETY COMMITTEE

We are a small group of artists, driven by a deep desire that the creativity of local artists should be exposed and flamed into fire for the expansion of art within the community. We are all founding members with particular skills and backgrounds which allow us to work together in a unique way for the enhancement of artists and their products. What brought us together was a shared vision for our society, galleries, artists, culture and community.

HOW WE STARTED

A Kouga Art Society has been a point of discussion amongst artists and gallery owners for a long time. Finally, in 2020 the artist community, congregated to discuss such a society, which was duly formed by the artists. The Kouga area (Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis, Oyster Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Loerie and Thornhill), have a large contingent of amazing artists and very creative people who strive to uplift art, which should become more visible and economically viable.

OUR MISSION

The Society exists to provide the artists of the Kouga area with a platform and a unified voice for the nurturing, promotion and growth of the arts and to provide a vantage point for artists, supporters and audiences to acquire quality artwork.
The Kouga Art Society positioned itself as a club or association, a non-profit structure to further the growth of its membership, expand artist activities, build capabilities and strengthen a community spirit.

OUR SHORT TERM GOALS

1. Promote the collective voice of artists and the arts within our community
2. Contribute to arts education and build capabilities
3. Expand artists activities into the community
4. Collaborate with all members of society to enhance the artist community

Mike Jansen – Chairperson

Mike built a career in the corporate world as a Business Development Executive in the Information Technology and Finance Industries, with more than 3 decades of consulting and management experience. He focused on helping organizations, develop strategic plans towards new business models and helped with the implementation and realisation thereof.
He worked extensively nationally and internationally with the migration of organisation structures and re-engineering processes to meet the changing demands of the new economic environments. Mike has been involved with the art world for most of his life, completing various art courses and building a strong portfolio of paintings. He is an active leader within his church community in Jeffreys Bay, maintaining his ethical values as a priority. He holds an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand and an undergraduate degree in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Port Elizabeth.

Don Bell – Membership

Don is a mixed-media artist, commercial artist, illustrator, Architectural Technologist, former advertising exec and photographer. His works include oils, acrylics, watercolours, charcoal, pencil, pen and mixed-media including digital art. Genres include aviation, wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, portraits, architecture & contemporary art. He was tutored in fine art by well-known South African artists & art lecturers Andre Vancoillie and Paul Lavender. His heart also lies in philanthropy so he donates works to worthy fund raising organizations and programs. The style, medium and subject of my works can change at a moment’s notice, because I have an insatiable need to create something which resonates with my soul on any given day. Don Bell has an exclusive Aviation Art Gallery based in the Port Elizabeth SAAF Museum, where his aircraft artworks are displayed and sold. He donates a portion of the proceeds to the Museum.

Michelle Cilliers – Communications

Michelle Cilliers has painted in oils since her high school years, attending arts classes on and off throughout her life. She has always had a deep love for both art and architecture, and some of her most memorable experiences were during her time living in Germany, where she had the opportunity to travel and explore Europe’s rich artistic heritage. Michelle was fortunate to paint full-time for a short period, but today she continues her practice in her spare time while working on her own business as a freelance social media manager, property manager and events coordinator. She ran the national ARTi Gallery Art Competition (AGAC) for two consecutive years and later coordinated the Jeffreys Bay ARTi Competition as a fundraiser for the Wavepoint Foundation. Her strengths lie in social media, coordination, and project management, and since moving to Jeffreys Bay in 2023, she has been actively involved in the local art community. Michelle is passionate about uplifting artists and adding real value to the creative landscape of Kouga.