Nominations are now invited for the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture in 2021.

Die Helgaard Steyn Trust het tot stand gekom uit die boedel van wyle dr J H (Jan) Steyn (1902-1983), ’n oud-student van die voormalige Grey-Universiteitskollege (die huidige Universiteit van die Vrystaat), LV vir Potchefstroom en direkteur van maatskappye. Die Trust is vernoem na sy vader, ’n voormalige LPR van Bloemfontein en jongste broer van die laaste republikeinse president van die Oranje-Vrystaat, M T Steyn. Die huidige trustees is Me Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg, Mnr Gerard Rupert, Mnr Francois van der Merwe, Mnr Johannes van Niekerk and ABSA TRUST LTD.

Die Trust het ten doel die bewaring van landbougrond in die Vrystaat en die bevordering van die kunskultuur van Suid-Afrika. Vyftig persent van die jaarlikse netto huurgelde op die bewaringsgebied word jaarliks aangewend vir ’n Helgaard Steyn-toekenning. Die waarde van die toekenning het met verloop van tyd aansienlik gegroei sodat dit een van die grootste kunspryse in die land geword het (méér as R400 000.00). Dit word in ’n vierjaarlikse siklus toegeken en roteer tussen die dissiplines van toonkunskomposisie, skilderkuns, letterkunde en beeldhoukuns, en word om die beurt te Potchefstroom en Bloemfontein oorhandig.

Vorige ontvangers van Helgaard Steyn-toekennings vir Beeldhoukuns is David Brown (1989), Jackson Hlungwane (1993), Gert Swart (1997), Willem Boshoff (2001), Jan van der Merwe (2005), Adrieta Wentzel (2009), Wim Botha (2013) en Angus Taylor (2017).

Volgens die bepalings van die boedel stel die rektore van die universiteite van Noordwes (NWU) en die Vrystaat (UV) elk jaarliks ’n beoordelaar in die betrokke kunsdissipline aan. Laasgenoemde twee benoem gesamentlik ’n derde beoordelaar. In 2021 sal Jan van der Merwe (vorige ontvanger van die toekenning en lektor by die Tshwane Universiteit van die Tegnologie) as derde lid van die paneel saam met Angela de Jesus (namens die UV) en Moya Goosen (namens die NWU) optree as die beoordelaars vir die prys vir beeldhoukuns.

Nominations for 2021

Die volgende bepalings is van toepassing in die nominasie van kandidate vir die Helgaard Steyn-toekenning in 2021:

Any artist of South African birth is eligible for the Helgaard Steyn Award. The prize is awarded for any work of art considered, in the opinion of the panel of adjudicators, to be the most meritorious in the discipline, provided that it was produced during the preceding four years and that it remains accessible to the South African public, for example by being included in a public art collection or by being exhibited in a public building or space.
The adjudicators interpret the provisions to imply that the merits of the works of art under consideration would include their exemplification of a high level of artistic achievement and innovative leadership maintained by the artist over an extended period of time.
The adjudicators have the responsibility of reconciling the original stipulations with an inclusive interpretation of the category of sculpture, in keeping with current practice in the visual arts. Thus ‘sculpture’ may be free standing pieces and constructions, works in relief, or enclosed or open-air installations in any permanent medium, including ceramics.
Art museums, galleries and their appointees, curators, art consultants and arts practitioners are invited to nominate artworks by submitting a statement of motivation, a curriculum vitae of the artist and the details of the artwork (including visual documentation) to the panel of adjudicators.
Direct nominations or enquiries to the panel of adjudicators at the following address:

Tel: 083 324 2445
E-mail: info@helgaardsteynawards.co.za

Nominations can also be submitted on the official website – www.helgaardsteynawards.co.za

The deadline for nominations is 26 July 2021.
No correspondence on the merits of any specific award will be undertaken on the behalf of the Trust.

Previous Winners

Sculpture

Previous Winners

Literature

Previous Winners

Painting

Previous Winners

Composition

Helgaard Steyn Awards are awarded annually, alter- nated in a four-year cycle, to:

The painter who, during the afore-going four years, produced the best painting and offered it for sale at a public exhibition, or who produced such painting, commissioned by a private person or a public body, on the understanding that it be placed in public in a way that allows reasonable public access.

The author of the best work of any nature in Afrikaans that, during the afore-going four years, was offered for sale on the open market in at least three hundred (300) print-copies.

The sculptor who, during the afore-going four years, produced the best sculpture and offered it for sale at a public exhibition, or who produced such sculpture, commissioned by a private person or a public body, on the understanding that it be placed in public in a way that allows reasonable public access.

The composer who, during the afore-going four years, composed the best piece of music and offered at least ten complete copies available for sale on the open market.

The History of the Helgaard Steyn Trust

The Helgaard Steyn Trust originates from the estate of the late Dr. Johan Heinrich (Jan) Steyn. He was born on 20 April, 1902 and was the eldest of six children of Barendina Wilhelmina (Dina) Richter and Hillegard Mulder (Helgaard) Steyn.

Dr. Steyn was an ex-student of the former Grey University College (the present-day University of the Free State). He obtained a doctorate in Economy and Political Science (cum laude) from the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

In 1961, Potchef- stroom University College (the present-day North-West University) awarded him with an honorary doctorate in Economic Science.

Until his retirement, in 1966, he served as an MP for Potchefstroom. Dr. Steyn was never married. He died in Bloemfontein on 15 December, 1983 at the age of 81 years.