Spier wins the BASA Chairman’s Premier Award
Tuesday, 2 September, 2014
Spier
On Monday, 25 August, Spier was awarded the Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Chairman’s Premier Award. This award is made at the discretion of the BASA Chairman and recognises sustained and extraordinary commitment to the arts in South Africa.
Spier was amongst twelve other diverse business and arts partnerships honoured at the 17th Business Day BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard, held at Johannesburg’s historic The Market Theatre.
Spier is well known for its commitment to South African Arts sincae 1996. It has an extensive collection of contemporary South African arts exhibited at its hotel, wine-tasting and conference venues on the farm. Recent projects include the dancing in other words Spier Poetry Festival. Spier also supports the annual Infecting the City Performing Arts Festival.
The Spier Arts Academy offers employment-based training in professional mosaic and this full-time apprenticeship also includes tuition in drawing, mosaic theory, art history and business skills.
A range of Spier wines is named after the Creative Block Arts project based at the Spier Arts Academy. Started in 2009, it invites established and emerging artists to submit small artwork blocks, and if the selection criteria are met, the artist is immediately remunerated. This creates a steady income and contributes to the South African arts economy. The wines range carries this story to international markets, promotes the project through marketing efforts and artworks are sold on the Spier Wine Farm.
"Spier strives to find ways to support and stimulate the arts community in South Africa, supporting projects that acknowledge our African arts heritage, protecting its legacy and contributing to its future," says CEO Andrew Milne.
Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is an internationally recognised South African development agency that encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts, contributing to corporate success and securing the future development of the arts industry in South Africa.
Image (f.l.t.r):
1. Business and Arts South Africa's Chairman Kwanele Gumbi
2. Hollard's Chief Marketing Officer Heidi Brauer
3. Spier CEO Andrew Milne
4. Minister of Arts and Culture, Hon. Nathi Mthethwa
5. Business Day's Editor in Chief Songezo Zibi