KZN will get a new Art Fair at the Hilton Festival this year.
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KZN will launch its first dedicated Art Fair at the Hilton Arts Festival this year signalling a bold step forward for the province’s creative economy.
While it has long produced exceptional artistic talent, for many years, artists seeking sustainable careers have felt compelled to relocate to larger national and international markets.
Conceived as a professionally curated platform, the new fair will connect galleries, artists and collectors - creating meaningful market access and strengthening pathways to sustainable careers for both emerging and established practitioners.
“The Hilton Arts Festival has always championed visual art, and we remain deeply proud of the artists who have shaped our tradition over three decades,” said organiser Evan Roberts. “The Art Fair builds on that foundation by deepening opportunity, strengthening the market, and ensuring creative talent can thrive here in KZN.”
Now in its 34th year, the Hilton Arts Festival attracts nearly 25 000 visitors annually and enjoys national and international recognition. The festival runs from August 7-9.
Hosted at Hilton College’s Memorial Hall, the Art Fair will feature dedicated gallery booths, a curated talks programme and spaces designed for dialogue and exchange. Visitors can expect a talks programme, workshops, book launches and collector-focused engagements.
The fair also draws strength from its regional context. The Midlands Meander remains one of South Africa’s established creative corridors, home to cultural anchors such as the Nelson Mandela Capture Site Museum and Ardmore Ceramic Art. Howick’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft & Folk Art further affirms the region’s cultural capital and tourism appeal.
“There is already a strong foundation here of thriving practitioners, active collectors, incubator spaces and collaborative networks,” says Angela Shaw, co-founder of the fair. “The fair is an organic next step. It connects that energy to broader markets, positioning KZN as a serious player within the national art economy.”
“We’re excited to bring contemporary art to what is essentially an unexplored frontier of the art market on the east coast of South Africa, and by doing so be a vehicle from which this market is explored and maintained," continues Lungelo Mkhize, co-founder of the fair.
The co-founders bring extensive sector expertise to the initiative. Mkhize’s background in management, logistics and art handling complements Shaw’s 35 years of curatorial and institutional leadership experience, including her tenure as Executive Director of the KZNSA Gallery. Together, they offer a strong combination of operational capability, sector relationships and curatorial depth.