This speech given by Thami Mnyele entitled "Observations of the State if the Contemporary Visual Arts in South Africa" was presented at Amsterdam conference in December 1982. Mnyele gives his impression of the state of the graphic art in South Africa. He explains how he got involved in politics while he was a student and how he wanted to understand his role as an Artist in the struggle. Mnyele contends that struggle and strife that manifests in the arts is linked to broader socio-political issues and thus, any art that is produced must not be "blind" to the "social stream from which art feeds: the community".
A background to the Exhibition of South African Art called "Art Toward Social Development" that was held on the 10 June to 10 August 1982 at National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone, Botswana. The exhibition reflects a panorama of South African art in 1982 through paintings, photographs and sculptures. The entire spectrum of South African society is reflected here. The first page of the document introduces the exhibition. Subsequent pages include a list of the artists and their artforms as well as biographies of the exhibitors.
A list of the various artists who produced and displayed work at the Art Toward Social Development Exhibition. It includes a list of the artists, photographers and poster makers and a brief background of these cultural workers.
The flyer includes advertisements for the Art Toward Social Development exhibition and Culture and Resistance Symposium/Festival which included art, photography, film, literature, theatre, music and dance. The Art Toward Social Development exhbition would take place from 10 June - August 10 1982. The Culture and Resistance Symposium dated July 5 - 9 July 1982. At the back of the flyer there is information that the opening of Art Toward Social Development would be done by Thami "Thamsanqa" Mnyele at 18:30 on Wednesday, 9 June 1982 at the National Museum and Art Gallery. The front cover is the poster for the exhbition.
Handwritten notes on the meeting between the Medu Graphics Unit and the Botswana Artists Association (BAA). The main concern was "on what basis should the Medu Graphics Unit make itself available to the BAA.
This statement is made for 9 August 1981 celebrating twenty fifth anniversary of women's march in Pretoria, written by Medu collective. A reflection of women who took to the streets during that event was a show piece of a militant struggle against fascist rule in South Africa.
Graphics Unit outline the programmes they would offer which included Introduction to drawing (two to three months long), Introduction to colour (two to three months), life drawing that is estimated to be completed in six weeks to two months and short workshops related to graphic design and technique.
The policy declaration is for conference related to establishing bilateral relations with cultural and arts groups in Southern Africa to enrich and share the experience.