APS Annual Report 2015 - 2016 by Artist Proof Studio

excellence through possibilty

Sizwe Khoza - Umfana Obomvu- Monotype - 2015

2015 - 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Artist Proof Studio

@ArtistProofJHB

admin@artistproofstudio.co.za

@ArtistProofJHB

011 492 1278

Artist Proof Studio

www.artistproofstudio.co.za

contents 1

Overview by Kim Berman

Governance

APS units

Introduction

Events & Exhibitions

APS cocktail evenings

Workshops

Awards, Fellowships & International exchanges

Print collaborations and residencies

Education Programme

Special Projects

Patron Programme

Challenges

Outreach Programmes

Financial report

Conclusion and way foward

APS Partners

Overview by Kim Berman 2015 has been a remarkable year for Ar st Proof Studio (APS) in many respects. It has been a year of triumphs as well as challenges. A highlight was the incredible success of the Educa on Endowment Auc on that raised R3.4 million, towards our vision to establish a sustainable fund for our educa on programme. A major challenge this year was the implementa on of a new pastel system that let us down in our ability to efficiently follow up with all our ar sts, clients and patrons. However, implemen ng change is always an opportunity for accelerated learning, and we are relieved to have passed through the painful teething stage into solid implementa on for going forward into 2016. APS is unique in its ability educate and graduate self-suppor ng new talent that feeds into a vibrant and ac ve South African art industry. Through our generous partners, ar sts and clients we have established an Educa on endowment fund that establishes a secure path for the con nuity of suppor ng young ar sts to reach for their dreams. Many of our successful alumni and partnering ar sts generously contributed remarkable works for the Auc on. The gi s of works by William Kentridge, Diane Victor, Phillemon Hlungwane, Nelson Makamo, Leghlohonolo Mashaba, Bambo Sibiya and many others is testament to the recogni on of role that their own ar s c success plays in crea ng opportuni es for the next wave of successful ar sts. This 2015 Annual report details over 20 successful exhibi ons and events for this year. Yet, it is impossible to report on our many successes without acknowledging our partners who invest me, energy and exper se into all aspects of the business at APS. They support our growth and help us to flourish. They make the impossible, possible. Ar st Proof Studio has an ac ve and engaged Board of Directors who ensures con nual strategies of sustainability and growth. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our many partners who joined hands with us. The Educa on Endowment Auc on, held in November 2015 enrolled 12 'Champions' and our media partner Crea ve Feel who generously supported and promoted selected ar sts. They include: Absa Gallery, Goodman Gallery, Everard Read Gallery, RMB, Bidvest, Fasken Mar neau, Legacy Hotel, Taxi Art Founda on, M&C Saatchi, Louis David, Friends of Talent, and Be Part of the Miracle Founda on. Other key partners who's in-kind support facilitated the auc on, venue and event include Strauss and Co, Absa Gallery, Arte Vita & Mastrantonio and Ruarc Peffers who was our wonderful Auc oneer for the evening. Our collaborators and patrons helped us reach out to new friends and clients through the very special evenings with Handspring Puppet Company and Norman Catherine. The APS team could not have achieved the success of reaching this milestone without the mentorship from our Board of Directors, and individual mentorship of Susie Goodman, Lauren Woolf, Willem van der Walt and Nozizwe Vundla. Our long-term and occasional funders who keep us cking are listed exhaus vely in the report but our apprecia on for this year extended to Dimension Data, RMB, Tshikululu Investments, SADF, NAC, Mary Slack Founda on, DAC, Na onal Lo ery Founda on Fasken Mar neu, PMT and our Patrons.

As will be seen in the report, this year was a year of interna onalisa on. Staff members including Sara Aimee Verity and Pontsho Sikhosana received an Ampersand Founda on residency from Jack Ginsberg to spend 6 weeks in New York. Charles Kholobeng went to Tamarind Ins tute in New Mexico for a platelitho-prin ng course in July, Bevan de Wet received a 2- month Sylte residency from Absa Atelier. Educa on co-ordinator Rene Mathibe and senior student, Lebohang Motaung spent a semester in Boston. These staff and student exchanges were made possible through our partnerships and extraordinary generosity of our Boston friends Pam Allara, Birgit Blyth, Lorie Hammermesh, Linda Nathan, the Boston Arts Academy (BAA) and Museum School of Fine Art (SMFA). Our collabora on with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Michigan University (MU) opened up further exchange opportuni es and networks for the ar sts, teachers and students. Ar st Proof Studio's greatest asset is our passionate team of staff whose dedica on and effort makes these achievements possible. In spite of the challenges of so many key staff away, including JeanneMare on maternity leave, four staff members abroad at different mes, myself on a one-month research residency in Stellenbosch, everyone pulled together to make it all work. The management team, th par cularly Shannin Antonopoulo and Nathi Simelane were able to hold it all together. 2016 is the 25 year of Ar st Proof Studio, and we are proud of our achievements and excited about what is ahead of us going forward. So, watch out for us this year!

GOVERNANCE We are fortunate to have an ac ve and engaged Board of Directors who mentor the APS Unit management in a variety of ways including staﬀ management and good governance. The Board of Directors meets every quarter and takes ﬁscal responsibility to ensure risk management and provide strategic leadership. The Board of Directors 2015/16 include: Ché Lue (Chairperson), Kim Berman (Execu ve Director), Shaila Jivan (Director), Gillian Crawford (Director), Giovanni Mariano (Director), Ashen Jugoo (Director), Nozizwe Vundla (Director) and Finzi Saidi (Director) Below is a detail with indicators of the APS structure for 2015.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FUNCTIONS: Risk, Assets, Resources, Sustainability, Measurement of Business Success, Strategy implementation, Goals and Objectives ACTIONS: Statutory and Governance, 5 Year strategy, Reputation, Innovation, Vision, Ethos

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FUNCTIONS: PR, Monitoring, Communications, Measure business operations, Goals and Objectives ACTIONS: Statutory and governance, Strategy compliance, Legislation and Legal, Sustainability, Ethos, Innovation

STUDIO AND BUSINESS UNIT MANAGERS

FUNCTIONS: Risk, reports, Achievement, Measurement, Implementation, Budget compliance,, Operations, Goals and Objectives ACTIONS: Financial Management, Administrative management and support, Statutory and Governance, Legislation and Legal, Assets trading, Funding, Strategy

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APS UNITS Ar st Proof Studio has four ac ve units: • The APS Gallery: exhibits and promotes outstanding work by students, alumni and professional ar sts to generate a sustainable income for ar sts and the studio. • The Educa on Unit: trains talented ar sts to become professional printmakers and provides an integrated workplace learning programme in community engaged arts. • The Professional Print Studio (Pro-shop): provides professional print technicians who collaborate with ar sts to produce new bodies of work in every print medium including etching, lithography, screen-prin ng, monotypes, paper-based works, relief prints and photopolymer. • The Special Projects Unit: receives mural and project commissions, manages community outreach projects and develops mutually beneﬁcial partnerships with corporate social ini a ves. This unit has also grown to include all APS design, marke ng and public rela ons material.

INTRODUCTION Ar st Proof Studio has ﬁve focus areas to ensure growth and sustainability for the future. Priori es to ensure further growth include: Strengthening Opera ons, Fostering Resources, Fiscal Sustainability, Brand & Recogni on, and Innova on.

KEY FOCUS FOR APS MOVING FORWARD:

Strengthening Opera ons

Fostering Resources

Fiscal Sustainability

Brand & Recogni on

Innova on

Se ng a ﬁrm founda on

Earning the means to grow

Knowing what APS stands for

Moving foward

The report for 2015 addresses all ﬁve of these areas with special emphasis on developing the brand and recogni on, fostering resources and innova on, leading up to our Educa on Endowment Auc on and ABSA Exhibi on in November 2015. Related events, exhibi ons, public workshops and public rela ons ac vi es are listed and described herea er.

STRENGTHENING OPERATIONS Strengthening Opera ons has always been a priority for APS as it moved forward. In 2014, Deloi e performed a number of systems and controls reviews providing APS with best prac ce processes. New policies and procedures have since been adopted to ensure smooth opera ons and an overall systems ﬂow in APS for 2015. APS recognised that tackling opera onal issues and systems ﬂows is cri cal to ensure future long-term success and growth. Pastel Partner was implemented as a tool to streamline opera ons and link business between the units. This required a review of procedures and a restructuring of posi ons within the studio towards the end of 2015.

Fostering Resources Throughout our history, we have focused on developing human resources and encouraged the spirit of Ubuntu. Working together to help create a sense of possibility, accessibility, togetherness, and community, we embrace diversity and encourage our employees to strive for excellence. Ac vi es and events aimed at increasing awareness of our brand and developing new audiences encouraged APS staff, students, associated ar sts and partners to work together towards a common goal. Developing strong leadership while planning for succession within the organisa on has been a key focus in 2015 to ensure effec ve opera ons over the next few years. Addi onally, an emphasis was placed on communica on within and between different APS units. This included developing and sharing common goals across the units as well as sharing resources and capaci es of key staff members.

Fiscal Sustainability Fiscal sustainability is always a key priority, as it is important to day-to-day opera ons and strategic growth. APS has both earned and contributed income. To reduce our dependence on dona ons and grants in the future we held an Educa on Endowment Auc on in November to ensure the growth and stability of our Educa on Unit and reduce the pressure on other units to meet these costs. Although profits were not the only goal in 2015, mee ng financial needs and achieving surpluses allocated for growth was a priority. The Educa on Endowment Auc on raised approximately 3.4 million rand which has been invested into an endowment fund. The interest generated from this will ensure that APS can par ally subsidise training and materials for developing ar sts going forward. The auc on event not only raised funds to secure an educa onal future for students who otherwise have no access to study further, but raised our public profile that led to an increase in awareness of APS and what we have to offer as an organisa on in pursuit of excellence. One of the goals for 2016 is to maintain this public profile, increase revenue over me, as well as to op mise staff resources and capacity to ensure produc vity and delivery in 2016. The Educa on unit has always been primarily dependent on educa on grants from our funding partners (including RMB, NAC, SADF, Lo ery Founda on, and a new partner The Mary Slack Founda on). However, this year the Educa on Unit generated some addi onal income in the form of tui on fees for short courses, new patrons, material sales and a new offering of a number of public workshops to supplement revenue. The con nued support of income from our partners as well as the studio's business units will enable the 4

Educa on unit to con nue to flourish. Maintaining contributed income is essen al to APS. Resources are and will con nue to be devoted to cul va ng rela onships with the current funders and patrons, including leveraging exis ng partnerships to support other needs within the studio. The Special Projects unit is posi oned to ini ate contact with poten al new corporate and public partners by offering workshops, murals and other projects to companies and partners. This unit also manages our outreach programme that services a er school facili es in Soweto. This unit was grown significantly in 2015 to include the func on of marke ng and public rela ons to support the gallery sales and promo on of APS ar sts, studio events, such as the Endowment Auc on, and increase awareness of the APS brand. Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is an area that the studio has focused on very strategically throughout its existence, but more specifically over the last few years. CSI programmes are becoming more strategically focused with emphasis being placed less on charitable dona ons and more on ac ve partnerships that provide mutual benefit. Ar st Proof Studio has several strong exis ng partnerships with CSI partners and looks to con nue developing these rela onships while seeking out new partners. This supplements earned income un l the studio becomes more self-sustaining.

Brand Recognition APS as a business is a comprehensive printmaking centre, par cipa ng in all parts of the printmaking process: crea on, sales, training, and engagement. In comparison to many other printmaking organisa ons in South Africa and interna onally, APS is unique in that it oﬀers all of these facets of printmaking, especially its educa on programme. However, many members of the local and interna onal communi es are unaware of the mul -programme nature of APS. As such, the success and reputa on of APS in these communi es is dependent on a strong, developed brand and a careful communica ons plan that raises awareness. To address this, since 2015 APS is focusing on Brand & Recogni on both internally, and externally. With this two-pronged strategy, APS will work towards its ul mate goal of local and interna onal recogni on for printmaking excellence. A number of valuable seminars have been given to staﬀ and interns through partners to develop awareness of the markets and assist in the development of a strategic plan to con nue to meet the needs of the new markets.

In 2015 we focused on building our brand being mindful of the Marke ng 5 'P's' including: Product, Place, Price, People and Promo on. First by developing a clear iden ty: an “engaged and innova ve centre of excellence,” which is a complete and holis c printmaking centre where all business units are equally important to the studio's success. Moving forward into 2016, we will filter the marke ng plan throughout the units aligning to reinforce a sense of community and purpose. In Educa on, we have been exploring opportuni es for accredita on of our educa on programme, as well as forming strategic partnerships with ins tu ons and ar sts. Our drive to achieve accredita on has been largely supported by RMB/ Tshikululu Social Investments. Accredita on is an excellent op on for APS to help build reputa on and brand value for its educa on programme. Our long-term goal is to register a diploma and post graduate cer ficate in Printmaking. However, as many of our applicants do not have a complete matric qualifica on, we spent the most part of 2015 aligning our first year programme with an NQF level four through the South African Qualifica ons Authority to be implemented in 2016. As the gap between secondary exit qualifica ons and university entrance requirement grows, APS recognises that it has a responsibility to equip young talented ar sts with the necessary tools and qualifica ons to access all spheres of the visual arts industry through training by bridging this gap and offering mul ple opportuni es. If all our students are equipped with matric/NQF level 4 qualifica on, we can move them into a higher level cer fica on programme. This long-term goal will allow other students both locally and interna onally to complete modules in specialised areas of printmaking and gain addi onal credits. This will bring in addi onal revenue to APS. Following a successful year of marke ng and public events in 2015, we believe that we now have a clearer posi on in the market with an external communica ons plan that includes further development of our print and digital media. In the near future we will look at adding addi onal components such as online sales to our website, increased par cipa on in events and exhibits and accessing more opportuni es for exposure of student and emerging ar sts.

excellence through possibilty

YEARS OF

EXCELLENCE

Partnerships Building strong partnerships can help leverage our posi on in the local and global market by providing addi onal resources and exposure. In Educa on, we have exis ng established partnerships with the Boston Arts Academy (B.A.A), Museum School of Fine Art (SMFA), University of Johannesburg (U.J), and Michigan University (M.U) which enriches the work of the Educa on Unit. These are valuable partnerships that enable the exchange of informa on and best prac ces. Formalisa on of partnerships such as these have also allowed us to receive the full benefit from these rela onships including staff and student exchanges. In 2015, as part of an ongoing exchange programme with various educa onal ins tu ons in Boston, we were invited to send our Educa on Coordinator, Rene Mathibe to Boston to a end a course on Crea ve Leadership at Boston University, a new course offered by Dr Linda Nathan, a long- me friend of APS. As part of the experien al placement for the course, Rene was able to spend three months with our partner Boston Arts Academy (BAA) to gather informa on and further develop her skills and capaci es in arts educa on approaches. On her return, she has been promoted to APS Educa on co-ordinator and is tasked with introducing literacy into our teaching methodologies to improve reading and wri ng skills. Lebohang Motaung, an APS third year student in 2015, was hosted by the Boston Museum School of Fine Art for a Semester . She spent six months in Boston supported by our generous friends and partners through the South African Development Fund, and completed a semester with credits. She was able to get experience as a teaching assistant and received glowing reports on her level of professionalism and innova on. She also developed a passion for papermaking which she is further developing through her internship with the Phumani Paper Archival Mill at UJ in 2016 through the fourthyear work-placement programme. APS is always on the lookout to establish similar educa onal partnerships with addi onal organisa ons with a view to promote exchange programmes for our students as well as more internship opportuni es for senior students. For the past 18 months, APS has partnered with Pa ern Matched Technologies (PMT) who worked with the Special Projects Unit and trained staff and interns to build and maintain a website. This has resulted in a completely func onal website that encapsulates and communicates our ac vi es and brand on a local and global pla orm. PMT further increased capacity of opera ons by implemen ng an e-wallet system to pay students and interns which cuts down on our bank charges and streamlines ar st and student payments.

This partnership is a model of a CSI investment that adds value and builds internal capacity in APS that we can build on in seeking addi onal CSI partnerships going forward. APS will also benefit from partnerships that address other areas of its opera ons. These include: - A partnership with a computer hardware company: APS could leverage this partnership to re-establish the computer lab for the students. - Further partnerships with IT companies that can offer technical support and advice. - Partnerships with cafés, restaurants, or other public places: APS can use their wall space as addi onal gallery space to feature the work of their students and ar sts. This is also a way to help increase sales. - Partnerships with other galleries, locally and interna onally: APC can leverage these rela onships to help ar sts and students gain more exposure to other art forms and ar sts as well as generate addi onal space to showcase APS work. - Develop a mentorship programme where poten al partners are assigned to students to help them gain confidence in communica on and presen ng skills.

Innovation Embedded as a one of the “habits of mind” in the educa on curriculum, innova on is a core goal for APS. It is an organisa onal ethos, as it is relevant across all business units and opera ons. A key barrier to success in any business is mediocrity, inane repe on, or mindless tasks. This barrier becomes a challenge with some employees who iden fy with "the way things have always been done." O en, this decreases produc vity, income, and eﬀec veness. However, we support con nued encouragement of open-mindedness and fresh approaches to our opera ons by fostering an imagina on of change and crea ve evolu on within our students and staﬀ. As an arts organisa on, crea vity and innova on is at the forefront of opera ons. By building on the values of awareness, excellence, engagement and Ubuntu, innova on will help propel APS to new heights as it looks to become interna onally recognised and expand our business growth and sustainability.

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS FOR 2015 Each unit focused on a variety of ac vi es, commissions, collabora ons and outputs in prepara on for the last quarter of 2015. Each unit including Educa on, Gallery and Pro-Shop were aﬀected by the absence of key staﬀ throughout the year. From August many of the units merged and shared resources to manage various events including Winex, evening events, the Educa on Endowment Auc on and the ABSA end of year exhibi on. Assistance from Jazzmen Lee-Johnson, an interna onal intern, and University of Johannesburg post-graduate interns provided administra ve and communica on support leading up to the events. This part of the report is divided into sub-sec ons including Exhibi ons, APS Cocktail Evenings, Awards, Fellowships, Grants and Interna onal Exchanges, Print Collabora ons and APS Residencies, Special Project Commissions, Workshops, Challenges, Ongoing Programmes, Financial Report, Conclusion and Way Forward.

excellence through possibilty

YEARS

UNIQUE WORK from ARTIST PROOF STUDIO ARCHIVES

off HOT the press Exhibition

No Man's Art Gallery In June, APS sent a body of artwork to No Man's Art Gallery in Amsterdam. The theme of the show was 'The Collabora ve Spirit William Kentridge & more South African Printmakers'. The exhibi on showcased a variety of print mediums from a variety of ar sts associated with South African studios and prin ng. Artworks from APS included ar sts such as; Mongezi Ncaphayi, Themba Khumalo, Lucas Nkweng, Donald Makola and Lebohang Sithole.

The Cape Town AVA/Warren Editions In May APS Gallery sent an exhibi on of prints to Cape Town AVA and Warren Edi ons. The exhibi on ran from the 26 Feb un l the 19 March 2015. Artwork by a range of ar sts including William Kentridge, Paul Edmunds, Mongezi Ncaphayi, David Tsoka, Lucas Nkwgeng, Nkosana Nhlapo, Richard Penn was sent down to extend our reach to a diﬀerent audience. From the 17th June - 14th July, APS moved an exhibi on tled Urban Fused featuring Mario Soares, Themba Khumalo, Landi Raubenheimer, Joel Mpah Dooh, Ramarutha Makoba, Phillip Mabote to a pop – up gallery space called Wallspace at the new development in Melville called 27 Boxes. On weekends APS conducted prin ng demonstra ons on the studio's portable press. The key focus was marke ng and to be introduced to a diﬀerent audience. The pla orm was small and the studio managed the space on weekends.

excellence through possibilty

YEARS

UNIQUE WORK from ARTIST PROOF STUDIO ARCHIVES Education Endowment Auction A er much prepara on and strategic planning, APS held the Educa on Endowment Auc on on the 19th November. The Auc on event was a successful collabora on between the extraordinary contribu on by Strauss & Co, Ruarc Peffers, (our auc oneer,) Paul Bayliss, and the Absa Gallery team, the remarkable Champions who brought their generous bidders, the APS passionate staff who pulled it all together, the APS Directors, mentors and advisors; the ar sts and students who gave the event its substance of excellence; and our friends and supporters who bought work or made a contribu on to the endowment fund. We also had an ac ve “Think Tank” commi ee of advisors who gave generously of their me and exper se. The the online and live auc on raised over R3.4m and the raffle at the venue raised over R40 000. This was nothing short of extraordinary! This Auc on enabled Ar st Proof Studio to go forward into 2016 with strength and confidence, as well as exci ng possibili es for a sustainable future for our educa on programme.

excellence through possibilty

YEARS

UNIQUE WORK from ARTIST PROOF STUDIO ARCHIVES

Mzansi Golden Economy ( MGE ) In June 2014, DAC put out a call for proposals for the Mnzanzi Golden Economy. This ini a ve was a great opportunity for APS to connect with stakeholders in the Newtown Cultural District. As the funding came through in January 2015 to be spent by the end of March 2015, we downscaled our event to include stakeholders in Newtown for a weekend func on called Open Newtown Regenera on Ini a ve. Approximately 38 par cipants including their teams of interns and staff took part in the th th ini a ve over the weekend of the 14 and 15 March. Overall, we engaged with two restaurants, two professional ar st studio organisa ons, two arts educa on organisa ons, one cra educa on organisa on, four dance educa on organisa ons, thirteen cra ers, one Instagram tour, four bands and four suppliers from the immediate area to supply tables, chairs, lights services, security and meals. Wherever possible we tried to use Newtown stakeholders, from the food to the photographer to the bands, some of these were emerging ar sts from the area, many of whom were students who had completed their studies in Newtown. Two venues were selected to target two different audiences. Newtown Junc on Shopping Mall is open from 9h00 – 17h00 on weekends. The Newtown Junc on caters to the inner city, Braamfon en, Fordsburg, Mayfair and Newtown communi es. (The Newtown Junc on Shopping Mall es mate that shoppers come from a 360° 10 kilometre radius). This venue, with an established market of weekend shoppers provided us with an audience of families and students. This venue was ideal in that people with small children could comfortably engage with cra ers, dance performances and demonstra ons while being in close proximity to bathrooms and food. The programme at this venue was run from 9h00 to 16h30. Our second venue accommodated more collabora ve and interac ve acts that were aimed at a more diverse student and young-professional audience. The Bassline has two spaces, one, an in mate Jazz space complete with a bar and a large concert space with a stage that could host larger dance orientated performances. A line up of four bands was planned for the small space and five other acts were dispersed in-between for the programme in the large venue. In addi on to these two main venues, some organisa ons including; the Market Photo Lab, the Market Theatre Lab, Ar st Proof Studio and Niki's Oasis chose to run ac vi es at their premises for the weekend to encourage audiences to engage with their spaces. New audiences were sought by hiring Buz Publicity to market the event and a booklet was developed which included all par cipants for audience reten on During the MGE weekend the gallery opened a historic exhibi on with a focus on late co-founder Nhlanhla Xaba. The Exhibi on at APS was called Nhlanhla's Open Chair. The show was a commemora ve exhibi on on the eve of the anniversary of the fire and the re-opening of the studio a 1 year later. The evening was catered by Mastrantonio and a ended by the friends of Ar st Proof Studio and some invited guests. The exhibi on showcased works on loan from Art th th on Paper Gallery as well as the Ar st Press. The Nhlanhla Xaba exhibi on ran from 9 March- 25 April 2015. In addi on, and as part of the MGE grant, APS acquired a vehicle, which has been a long me dream. The proposal to convert it into a mobile print studio to extend our printmaking outreach remains a goal.

Places & Faces In August APS hosted an exhibi on by alumni ar sts Sizwe Khoza and Nkosana Nhlapo. The exhibi on was very well received and showcased the talent of these two emerging ar sts. Sizwe Khoza's work featured a range of large-scale monotypes while Nkosana's work consisted of smaller scale etchings and dry point prints. Both ar sts dealt with diﬀerent aspects of their iden ty informed by the people that surround them and the geographical spaces they ﬁnd themselves in.

King David School Fundraiser The studio was approached by Kevin Handelsman (Bidvest) to be give works on consignment for the King David School fundraiser. The evening was a great success. Prints were s ll being sold through Kevin a er the event. Addi onal prin ng workshops were done through Special Projects with all the classes at King David's School. The th th team conducted a prin ng workshop over 3 days (11 – 13 August) with 350 learners aged between 8 and 13 years of age. Artworks produced by the kids were to be sold at fund raising event at King David School.

The Joburg Art Fair The annual Joburg Art Fair at the Sandton Conven on th th Centre (10 – 13 September) is always a huge selling and marke ng opportunity for APS. We featured exci ng new work from Handspring Puppet Company, Norman Catherine and Bevan De Wet as well as new releases from emerging ar sts including Themba Khumalo and Mongezi Ncapayi. Interns were invited to assist on the stand and gain valuable training in marke ng and sales of APS and prints. During the ArtFair, APS Gallery featured a red dot sale.

Every second year, Fasken Mar neau hosts an exhibi on of APS artworks for their corporate partners and clients. This is a great opportunity for APS to network and be introduced to new audiences. Fasken Mar neau has an extensive collec on of APS artwork that they have procured over the years through the student patron programme which they supported extensively since 2003. For the exhibi on on the st 21 October, we selected artwork from a number of alumni ar sts who had received patron support through Fasken Mar neau and had a wonderful evening sharing the APS/Fasken story that spans over more than a decade and introducing new clients to emerging ar st's prints.

WineX Exhibition In collabora on with Mastrantonio and Arte Vita, Ar st Proof Studio was able to access a new pla orm to present â&#x20AC;&#x153;good livingâ&#x20AC;? in combina on with good, art, food and wine. The poten al to develop artwork in a format of small landscape-size images, that could be adapted into wine-labels, was an opportunity to promote up and coming APS ar sts. With the support of Gianni Mariano, we curated an exhibi on, on the pillars in front of Mastrantonio's food stand. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore new partnerships between businesses and visual arts. APS received a special grant from RMB to commission eight ar sts to make three small new works each, typical of their personal style. The small original prints were also marketed as poten al wine labels. Our graphic designer chose one of each of these images to include in a proposed design of a wine label that th th was exhibited alongside each display. Winex ran from the 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 October.

28th November Third Year Exhibition Last year, we had an excep onal group of third year students who not only a ended regular classes and developed artwork for their por olios and group exhibi on but also started a collec ve called Wang Thola with their facilitator and ar st Robyn Nesbi . Ten students graduated in 2015, most of the artwork was represented at the ABSA exhibi on in the Best of APS student exhibi on. Following this successful showcasing of talent, ﬁve students have been selected for this year's Fresh Produce Stand at the Turbine Art Fair 2016.

excellence through possibilty

off HOT the press Exhibition

ABSA Exhibition “Hot off the Press”

Ar st Proof Studio celebrates 25 years of printmaking training and collabora ons this year. To mark this milestone, Absa G a l l e r y h o ste d a s h o w- sto p p i n g exhibi on from 29 November 2015 to 29 January 2016 of more than 130 works from some of the studio's most talented students, emerging ar sts, alumni and collabora ng ar sts. The exhibi on formed part of Absa Gallery's year-end exhibi on, and followed the highly successful auc on on 19 November 2015 of Ar st Proof Studio works at the Absa Gallery. All funds raised from the sale of works at the upcoming 25-year celebratory exhibi on went towards the ar sts responsible and APS. Dr Paul Bayliss, Absa Art and Museum Curator, said that the Absa Gallery was “delighted to host this innova ve, crea ve and highly engaging exhibi on”. There were five dis nct parts to the exhibi on including; new releases from APS'Pro-shop ar sts, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones (Handspring Puppet Company); Colbert Mashile; Themba Khumalo; Sizwe Khoza; Bevan de Wet; Doris Bloom; Natasha Norman; Bianca Baldi and Bridget Baker, curated by Sara-Aimee Verity, Pontsho Sikhosana and Charles Kholobeng. Also on show were new prints from Paul Molete, Stompie Selibi, Tony Nkotsi and Jacob Molefe in the Open Friday Workshop sec on, curated by Lucas Nkgweng, and new paper-based work from Pro-shop and Archival Paper Mill ar sts, including Susan Woolf, Landi Raubenheimer, Inge Hyson, Bevan de Wet and Mongezi Ncaphayi. This was curated by Nathi Ndladla. A definite highlight are the collabora ve works from Bevan de Wet, Ar st Proof Studio professional printer and ar st who won the 2014 Barclays L'Atelier Merit Award, and Alinah Mphasane, Lydia Molefe, Mpendeme Dlamini and Fikile Dlamini of Ikageng collec ve at Ar st Proof Studio, curated Lydia Zungu. Visitors also enjoyed a selec on of the most outstanding works from 14 of the Ar st Proof Studio's best emerging ar sts of 2015 in a showcase of third year final artwork curated by Robyn Nesbi and colleagues.

SPECIAL PROJECTS COMMISSIONS The Market Theatre has been based in Newtown Johannesburg since 1976. It is named the Market because it stands on site which previously was a produce site, known as the Old Indian Market of the Newtown Market. The Market Theatre is made of other divisions, namely: The Market Theatre Laboratory and The Market Photo Workshop, which both provide educa on based training for aspiring photographer and theatre performers. 2016 marks a milestone 40 years of The Market Theatre's existence in the crea ve landscape of South Africa. To celebrate this, an iconic building is currently near comple on at the site that used to be the COSAC building. Also the ﬁrst home for Ar st Proof Studio. The new building will have The New Market Theatre, The Market Photo Workshop, The Market Theatre Laboratory and The Market Theatre Founda on all housed under one roof. Special Projects received a commission to produce a 6x14 metre mural in the foyer of the new theatre. As part of the pre-produc on phase, four students from second year skilled in carving and prin ng lino have carved six woodblock panels approximately 2.2 meters in size. These panels were printed and painted and are wai ng to be installed as integral parts of a large scale mural. The mural pain ng phase was planned to take place during the months of July and August 2015 however, delays in construc on have postponed this to mid-2016.

The Ridge School - Set Painting On the 22nd – 25th July the Ridge School hosted an Oliver Twist produc on. Backdrops of different loca ons of 19th Century London needed to be painted onto backdrops. The commission was brought to the studio through a Friday ar st who saw students paint large panels for the Open Newtown Ini a ve in March. Second and third year students were iden fied and painted the 108m2 of fabric during student holidays. Projects like these create opportuni es for students to earn an income in their holidays and acquire valuable skills. In addi on, it raises the profile of APS.

Cape Town Art Fair

excellence through possibilty

CAPE TOWN

successful partnership between the Handspring Puppet Company and Ar st Proof Studio began through RMB in 2014 with the print edi on of Joey and Topthorn for the War Horse produc on staged in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The edi on was pre-sold and has led to other opportuni es including a two residencies with the Pro shop team to realize a large, ambi ous and growing body of work showcased in this Art Fair.

Stand No. E1

www.capetownar air.co.za

Adrian Kohler, Aunty Be y, Linocut, 185.5x81.5cm, 2015

The partnership between Ar st Proof Studio and Handspring Puppet Company is based on a shared vision that art can grow and develop youth and communi es. Edi ons produced through this collabora on are divided between APS and The Handsprings Puppet Trust. Proceeds of sales go directly into community development. The Handsprings Puppet Trust have built a stadium in Barrydale, Western Cape where the community can engage with puppet shows and cultural events. The Cape Town Art Fair took place between the th st 18 and 21 February 2016. Nathi Simelani was at the event throughout the weekend to represent APS, and our stand was locally managed in partnership with Kalk Bay Modern Gallery.

COCKTAIL EVENINGS Leading up to our Auc on, a number of exclusive evenings were arranged on recommenda on of the APS Think Tank (a commi ee made up of various corporate partners, advisory and board members to raise awareness of APS, develop new audiences and promote our patron programme. All members of Ar st Proof Studio from students to managers contributed to making these evenings a special experience for guests. th

The ďŹ rst evening was held on the 25 June 2015 with Handspring Puppet Company's Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones. On exhibit were the outcomes of two residencies with Kohler and Jones and original plans and drawings of the puppets that inspired the prints. Guests had an opportunity to speak directly to the ar sts on the evening and see how the artworks were created. Guests also had an opportunity to pre-order prints that were beginning to be published. 80 people were hosted on the evening. Arte Vita provided the catering.

Handspring Puppet Company

Norman Catherine Evening Following a hugely successful Handspring Puppet Company evening event for selected guests, APS hosted an evening with Norman th Catherine on the 15 July. We had 89 RSVP's with more arrivals on the evening of the event. The guest list consisted of a very diverse group of individuals, some of which has never been to the studio before. Sales of the par cular evening did not meet expecta ons however, much interest was generated around the patron program. Arte Vita once again, provided catering for the evening. 19

WORKSHOPS The Special Projects unit in collabora on with the Pro-shop and educa on have been working hard to promote printmaking through public workshops. In 2015 we ran a successful series of workshops from introduc ons to speciﬁc techniques to advanced courses. This was aimed at promo ng and developing skills to the community and developing new audiences. Addi onal workshops aimed at genera ng artwork for the end-of year ABSA Exhibi on were held on Fridays. We invited a number of associated ar sts and alumni to develop artwork towards our collec on. th

26 May – 23 June Introductory Etching Public Workshop In June APS conducted a 5 week Introductory Etching Course facilitated by Talya Lubinsky. The classes took place every Tuesday evening and was a ended by 10 par cipants. APS charged R2 500:00 for a 5-week course, which included the cost of basic materials.

Pecanwood College Printing School workshop 150 grade 8 and 9 art students from Pecanwood College came to APS for prin ng demonstra ons and workshops. These included monoprin ng and linocut workshops that were conducted by the Educa on Unit print team as well as the Special Projects interns. The workshop con nued over three days.

Izazi Alumni Workshop Julie Ellison and Mark Creekmore from the University of Michigan came in July. They trained a selec on of students in interviewing and data-collec on methodologies. The goal of Izazi was to plan and ini ate the development of an archive of interviews with APS graduates. Organisa onal uses of this archive include the development of an alumni database or catalogue and genera ng content for the APS website, newsle ers and reports. The larger purposes of the archive were, first, to gather knowledge about APS alumni and, second, to build stronger rela onships between APS and its graduates. The archive will inform the organisa onal development of APS, support APS habits of mind, and contribute to research that will help similar organisa ons to develop like programs. The archive has individual uses for staff, faculty and students which contributed to their par cipa on in Izazi. The Izazi Workshop occurred over ten days in July, 2015 and included eight senior students iden fied as good writers with strong interpersonal skills. Three UJ Post Graduate students were iden fied to transcribe and store recordings and interviews done by APS Students. Most of the material gathered was used for our ABSA exhibi on in November 2015. 20

AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES In 2015 a number of key staﬀ members were granted opportuni es to travel abroad to harness skills in specialist areas, develop their own ar s c prac ce and gather new experiences. APS supports and creates opportuni es for staﬀ and alumni to travel overseas. The Educa on Unit sent Rene Mathibe to Boston University and Boston Arts Academy to gain experience in Educa on Management and Lebogang Motaung was sent on an exchange programme to Museum School of Fine Art. Sara Aimee Verity and Pontso Sikhosana were granted a fellowship through the Ampersand Founda on, New York (1st August to mid-September). Charles Kholobeng, Pro-Shop print technician was accepted by the Tamarind Ins tute in Albuquerque, New Mexico and completed a specialised Aluminium Plate Lithography summer workshop from 6th July. He met up with Pontso and Sara Aimee in New York before returning to South Africa on the 10th August. Beven De Wet, le for Germany on an ar st residency through the Sylt Founda on at the end of August and returned midNovember 2015. He used the opportunity to develop his own ar s c prac ce and work towards a new body of work for an exhibi on at ABSA in 2016. Kim Berman went on a 6-week Research Fellowship in November to December at the Stellenbosh Ins tute for Advanced Studies. Jeanne Mare Du Bois went on Maternity leave from August 2015 un l January 2016.

PRINT COLLABORATIONS AND RESIDENCIES A number of ar sts from Cape Town and abroad were invited to co publish prints with the pro-shop. This was intended to build a collec on of new work for the various events including the art fairs and the end-of- year ABSA Exhibi on. By April 2015, the Pro shop team had completed edi oning prints by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones of the Handspring Puppet Company. The project included; - A two-plate lithograph - Two mul -plate colour etchings - A large lino (the ﬁrst of an on-going series of large lino characters including, Faustus, Penelope, Aunty Be y) - A large two-plate colour linocut with silkscreen elements on hand-made paper, individually chine-colled onto the lino. In addi on to the Handspring Puppet company co-published project, a large series of prints including etchings, monotypes and viscosity works was started in April by ar st Doris Bloom and completed by the end of the month. Bloom was working on a book project and the prints completed in the Pro-shop form part of a series of works Bloom has con nued to explore with the team while visi ng South Africa from Denmark, where she currently lives. June saw the Pro shop team begin a new series of works with Cape Town –based ar sts, Chloe Reid, Natasha Norman, Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones. Kohler and Jones worked on three large linocuts, three lithographs and three silkscreen prints. The Pro-shop were also preparing for the preview of Adrian and Basil's new works on June 25th and the th preview of Norman Catherine's new work on July 15 .

Hitchcock Michalski Paper Prayers Workshop rd

3 year intern students Lebohang Motaung and Goolam Chavoos conducted a Paper Prayers workshop with Crea ve st Execu ves from a graphic design company, Hichcock Michalski on 31 July. This was the ﬁrst workshop that the interns conducted independently without supervision from Special Projects management team. Feedback was very posi ve regarding the facilita on, as well as the workshop in general, the client is considering bringing more par cipants in future.

30th June – 4th August – Advanced etching Course (Special Projects and Education) Following a successful beginners etching course, an Advanced Etching Course facilitated by APS teacher Lucas Ngkweng took place. Par cipants from the beginner's class enrolled again for the advanced class, along with new par cipants.

EDUCATION PROGRAMME Our educa on programme accommodates between 60 and 70 students per annum across all the year's of study. Our fullme programme consists of three weekday classes and our part- me programme runs on Saturdays. We accept up to 30 students in our weekday programme and 20 in our Saturday programme per year. On average approximately 60 students apply to study at APS. The Saturday programme is a one year course which focuses primarily on basic printmaking skills. Students who apply for Saturday o en have other educa onal commitments and/or are working. The fullme programme takes young ar sts through a process of basic drawing, visual literacy and printmaking skills. The second and third year programmes are designed to develop cri cal thinking, communica on and advanced printmaking skills. Through exis ng and new partnerships, the programme oﬀers all students opportuni es to get involved in various projects including, murals, community outreach ac vi es, workplace opportuni es, special guest workshops and seminars, compe ons, commissions, student exchanges and internal work placement experience. Senior students are encouraged to promote themselves and their artwork through internal studio marke ng events and workshops. These provide valuable opportuni es for individuals to grow in self-conﬁdence and share their ideas with an audience.

The internship and mentorship programme was formalised at the end of 2015 with the development of a Senior Fourth year Programme. This has been supported largely by RMB and Mary Slack and Daughter's Founda on. 10 Third Year graduates from 2015 are currently registered on the programme in 2016.

2015 Student retentions and drop-out rates On average in first year, we lose about 20% of students who drop out or fail over the course of the year. In second year the drop-out rate is approximately 30% from first year. The biggest drop in student numbers is seen from second year to third year where the numbers drop by an addi onal 30%. On average, APS retains 30% of applicants who move on to pass third year and become ar sts or prac oners in the arts industry. First Year: In February 2015 we had accepted 25 first year students. By mid-year three students dropped out and by the end of 2015, 21 students were promoted into second year for 2016. Second Year: In 2015, we began the academic year with 19 second year students. Of these students, two exited from the programme by July 2015 for not passing assignments and an addi onal two students dropped out of the programme. By the end of 2015, one student failed the second year course and the remaining 14 were promoted to third year for 2016. Third Year: We began the academic year with 14 accepted students. By the first quarter, four students dropped out. 10 students successfully completed third year in 2015 and were invited to complete a pilot programme fourth year internship in 2016. These numbers are in line with other visual art programmes regionally.

New developments in the education curriculum Our first year curriculum has been aligned with an NQF Level 4 SETA Accredita on for 2016. Over the past three years we have seen a drama c drop in applicants with a Grade 12 Matric Pass. APS's long term plan to have Bri sh Accredita on Cer fica on remains a goal, however, as an organisa on that develops and trains extremely talented young ar sts, we felt that we need to address the gap and provide a bridging programme to accommodate these ar sts so that they are eligible to acquire a diploma cer ficate later in their studies.

Fete de la Music, Newtown Junction Mall On the 27 June, APS was invited to par cipate on the Fete de la Music, Newtown Junc on Mall. Tradi onally, the French music fes val is hosted in Melville, Johannesburg. In 2015, it was relocated to Newtown. The Newtown Shopping Mall hosted the event and APS was oﬀered an empty shop free of charge. This project was managed by Lydia Zungu. As the fes val targets mostly youth and university students it proved not to be a good pla orm to sell artwork.

Turbine Art fair Turbine Art Fair (16th – 19th July) has always been a fantas c pla orm for Ar st Proof Studio. The highlight year for the studio was in 2014. We had a large, prominent stand in the sought a er glasshouse, situated amongst the top galleries. This year, we learned that we have strong compe on with approximately 7 galleries also specialising in print as our neighbors. (In 2014, we had 3 galleries). Our space was also signiﬁcantly smaller than last year. The fair was held during school holiday's, which meant that most of the usual clientele could not a end the fair. Income from this event was not as successful as the previous year.

SPECIAL PROJECTS During the months of May and June, the Art Connec on SA programme has been par cipa ng in an art and cultural event in Braamfontein called 'First Thursdays'. On the ďŹ rst Thursday of each month galleries, markets and cultural a rac ons stay open ll late, providing a free cultural experience where people can explore the various a rac ons on foot. Impact Hub Johannesburg, who are art recipients of the Art Connec on SA programme, provided us with the space where we held par cipatory prin ng demonstra ons. Members of the public get to learn about printmaking as well as the Art Connec on SA programme. The aim of our par cipa on is to increase visibility of the programme; iden fy poten al art recipients; and increase the art dona ons. During the months of May and June, the Art Connec on SA programme has been par cipa ng in an art and cultural event in Braamfontein called 'First Thursdays'. On the ďŹ rst Thursday of each month galleries, markets and cultural a rac ons stay open ll late, providing a free cultural experience where people can explore the various a rac ons on foot. Impact Hub Johannesburg, who are art recipients from of the Art Connec on SA programme, provided us wit h t h e s p ace wh ere we h eld p ar cip ato r y p rin n g demonstra ons. Members of the public get to learn about printmaking as well as the Art Connec on SA programme. The aim of our par cipa on is to increase visibility of the programme; iden fy poten al art recipients; and increase the art dona ons.

PATRON PROGRAMME By June 2015, ﬁve students had patrons; including Lebohang Motaung (Nikki Wessels), Lindo Zwane (Lauren Woolf), Zamani Xaba and Lucky Mahlangu who are supported by Marie Aurelie-Gierard. Hudeco patroned Mandlenkosi Mavengere in Third Year. An addi onal patron was procured following the Norman Catherine evening, Julie e Welham from Friends of Talent took on Victor Kuster and Kelebogile Masigo a er she met them on the evening. Plans to promote the patron programme and the beneﬁts thereof were emphasised through our evening events.

Mandla Mavengere - Ida Muvakidzana wako - Love Your Neighbor

Kelebogile - Kgohello II

Lindo Zwane - Ses' ﬁkile ayi asikaka ﬁki!

CHALLENGES On the morning of the 9 t h October 2015, at approximately 3:30am, rags contained in a plas c container under the Takesh Lithography press in the ProShop combusted. The fire occurred during the week-long heatwave. Fortunately, the fire was contained however, the sprinklers caused major water damage to the premises and prints exposed and in drawers. Considering the me of year, the fire and subsequent clean-up of the pro-shop and offices beneath the pro-shop was a major set-back. All the finance files and various computers had to be dried out . Many ar sts had to return to the educa on space to reprint their submissions for Winex which were in the process of drying at that me. Within three weeks, we had managed to catch up on our schedule. All things considered (including our history of a devasta ng experience with a fire), we were excep onally fortunate. Following this, all the extrac on fans and filters have been replaced and fire proof buckets for solvent soaked rags have been installed into all the prin ng spaces. The other major challenge for APS in 2015 was a disfunc onal inventory system on Pastel, which has since been addressed. 25

OUTREACH PROGRAMME : Artists in Arks The Ar st in Arks programme is supported through the sale of William Kentridge's 'The Bird and its Watcher' prints. The gallery take no commission on these prints and 100% of proceeds go towards APS outreach projects. This year we ran art classes twice a week in three sites around Soweto. APS ar sts and assistant ar st teachers come from these iden fied communi es. This programme has been running for the past eight years and the teachers have seen many of the par cipa ng children grow into young adults during this me. Classes run a er school hours.They are usually divided into two separate sessions to accommodate the age differences between primary and high school level children. Tsholofelo Zondi Ark was closed in March 2015 due to lack of funding. Following lack of funds, caregivers and teachers were forced to find alterna ve jobs, an a ernoon meal was no longer available for children from surrounding schools and the numbers of children a ending the a er-school facility dropped drama cally. Following the shutdown of Noah's Arks (the organisa on that ini ated the a ercare facili es across the country), an alterna ve a ercare facility was found with the assistance of Christopher Molefe and approached to integrate art classes into an exis ng a ercare programme. Abrahim Kriel Childcare in Emdeni was iden fied and visited. Art classes were focused on introducing the children to a range of drawing mediums and materials. As most of the children at this site are young, themes were kept simple. Classes started in May 2015. Over the following months there was a steady increase in par cipa ng children as interest in the ac vi es has grown. The Copessa Ark in Soweto explored the theme of Child Protec on through a range of drawings, poster development and pain ng. The aim was to get children to iden fy what is meant by 'protec on' and how to create an image with a message that others in the community can relate to and understand. This theme was explored in a variety of ways including poetry, music and dance. The Golden Ark (previously called the Mzimhlope Ark) also went through restructuring in the beginning of 2015. The centre now focuses on primary school children. This Ark is rela vely organised in terms of offering a range of a er school ac vi es throughout the week for children. Basic drawing and colour techniques were explored and the Ar sts in Arks have been asked to complete a mural that shows how different enterprises in the area including a bakery are making a contribu on to the centre. Discussions with long- me partner CDP in Bertrams (Curriculum Development Project) have culminated into a partnership following the appointment of an alumni ar st Brenda Ramadiehe as facilitator of children's outreach projects at the centre. Apart from lessons in the week where children make masks and costumes for carnival ac vi es, they have started a programme called Fun art Fridays which we will support from June 2016.

FINANCIAL REPORT Ar st Proof Studio gains income from donors and patrons as well as earning income through the sale of prints. Over the years we have focused on produc on, marke ng and sales of prints to reduce our dependence on donor funding. Ar st Proof Studio is very proud to see a constant growth over the last couple of years and 2016 has been no excep on. We would not have been able to maintain such growth had it not been for the team work of our employees, the student's hard work and performance, loyal customers, partners and clients the generous dona ons and grants received throughout. This ďŹ nancial report shows that we are in a very solid and healthy posi on as a result of dona ons, grants, and income generated through sales and par cularly through the reserve funds generated as a result of the Educa on Endowment Auc on in November 2015. This investment fund will generate an income from the interest to ensure the growth of our Educa on Unit through enabling addi onal bursaries. We an cipate that this will reduce some of the pressure on other units to meet the costs of suppor ng over 70 subsidised students. Maintaining contributed income is essen al to fund the excellent educa on programme at APS. Resources will con nue to be dedicated to cul va ng rela onships with the current clients, ar sts, funders and patrons, including leveraging exis ng partnerships to support addi onal gaps within the studio. Our Financial Statements have been prepared by Douglas & Velcich CA (SA) for eight consecu ve years in accordance with Interna onal Financial Repor ng Standards required by the Companies Act of South Africa.

68%

1% 6% 1%

24%

Grants & Donations

Print Shop

Interest Received

Gallery Sales

Patron Sponsors The diagram above clearly indicates that our main source of income is from gallery sales at 68% followed by Grants and Dona ons at 24%.

COMPARITIVE FIGURES FOR INCOME 7 000 000 00

6 000 000 00

5 000 000 00

4 000 000 00

3 000 000 00

2 000 000 00

1 000 000 00

INCOME 2012

INCOME 2013

INCOME 2014

INCOME 2015

INCOME 2016

Compara ve ďŹ gures over the past 5 years shows substan al growth with an average of 32%. We are very fortunate to experience this growth despite the challenging circumstances the economy has been confronted with.

INCOME vs EXPENSES 7 000 000 00

6 000 000 00

5 000 000 00

4 000 000 00

3 000 000 00

2 000 000 00

1 000 000 00

2014

2015

2016

The income bar above is made up of accumulated income received during the year as indicated in the ďŹ rst diagram. Our main expenses in 2016 include salaries as well as materials procured for the crea on of art work. Other expenses include insurance, repairs, maintenance and courier' costs etc.

VALUE OF ARTWORK STOCK 35 000 000 00

30 000 000 00

25 000 000 00

20 000 000 00

15 000 000 00

10 000 000 00

000 000 00

2014

2015

2016 (Being Reviewed)

We ended the ﬁnancial year for 2016 in a stable posi on and were able to pay oﬀ any immediate liabili es. Apart from the Endowment Auc on in November, our reserves were maintained throughout the year and supported by a series of successful exhibi ons.

CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD To ensure that opera ons run smoothly moving into 2016, APS has implemented a number of significant changes following the end of the last quarter of 2015. This includes the appointment of a Business Manager to oversee financial systems and controls, a Gallery Administrator to ensure that new policies and procedures are followed and entered into our Pastel Partner System and a central procurement system to manage and streamline stock purchases and payments across all the units at APS. This has also allowed key staff to focus on areas of strength including customer service and delivery as well as strengthening rela onships with our ar sts. A detailed marke ng and sales plan has been developed for 2016 to ensure that we work towards common goals and con nue to increasing awareness of our brand, develop new audience and translate possibility into excellence at all mes. The formalisa on and implementa on of a Fourth Year Senior Programme has allowed us the opportunity to develop strong leadership while planning for succession within the organisa on. As has been consistently emphasised in this report, fundamental to our success in 2015 have been our partnerships. These have expanded to new partners and 'Champions' for the Educa on Endowment Auc on including Absa Gallery, Goodman Gallery, Everard Read Gallery, RMB, Bidvest, Fasken Mar neau, Legacy Hotel, Taxi Art Founda on, M&C Saatchi, Louis David, Friends of Talent, and Be Part of the Miracle Founda on. Other partners include Strauss and Co, Crea ve Feel, ABSA, Arte Vita and Mastrantonio, Rand Merchant Bank, Pa ern Matched Technologies, Deloi e, William Kentridge (though sales of the Bird and its Watcher), Handspring Puppet Founda on and Bidvest who have invested me, funds, energy and exper se into all aspects of the business at APS to help us grow, develop and flourish throughout the year Central to the success of the auc on was work donated from our alumni and associated ar sts including; Phillemon Hlungwani, Bambo Sibiya, Nelson Makamo, Lehlohonolo Mashaba, Colbert Mashile, Deborah Bell, Diane Victor, William Kentridge, Norman Catherine, Bevan de Wet and Themba Khumalo. We consider the many individual clients and friends and patrons indispensible to the success of the Educa on Endowment Auc on as well as the long-term well being of APS.

The staﬀ and student exchanges that were made possible through our partners and friends abroad cannot be underes mated. Established partnership with the Boston Arts Academy (BAA), Museum School of Fine Art (SMFA), University of Johannesburg (UJ), and Michigan University (MU) have enabled the exchange of informa on, best prac ces and in many ways have opened up new avenues and networks for the ar sts, teachers and students who bring these new skills and knowledge back to APS. APS will look to establish similar educa onal partnerships with addi onal organisa ons with a view to promote exchange programmes as well as more internship opportuni es for senior students. A commitment to innova on, excellence, teamwork and accessibility has enabled a small, modestly equipped studio established in 1991 to grow into a ﬂourishing community of passionate ar sts, printmakers, teachers, th commi ed patrons, dedicated corporate partners and friends by 2016- our 25 year. We are deeply apprecia ve to all of you.

ARTIST PROOF STUDIO PARTNERS, FUNDERS, PATRONS AND ADVISORS 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015/2016

AMPERSAND FOUNDATION ANDREW MURRAY ANTHEA POKROY APS BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARTEVITA BE PART OF THE MIRACLE TRUST BIDVEST FOUNDATION BIANCA SHAKINOVSKY BIRGIT BLYTHE BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY BOSTON MUSEUM SCHOOL OF FINE ART BOSTON UNIVERSITY BUSINESS AND ARTS SOUTH AFRICA CAROLYN WATERHOUSE CREATIVE FEEL CHRIS WATTERSON DELOITTE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE DEBBIE AND DAVID RASIEL DIMENSION DATA EVERARD READ GIRARD HAYWARD INC. GOODMAN GALLERY FASKEN MARTINEAU FRIENDS OF ARTIST PROOF STUDIO, BOSTON (FOAPS) GOODMAN GALLERY HUDACO INDUSTRIES JANET WATTS KEVIN SHANTON KEVIN HANDLESMAN LAKIN MORGAN-BAATJIES LAUREN WOOLF LEGACY GROUP LINDA NATHAN LOUIS DAVID LORE WATTERSON LORIE HAMMERMESH M &C SAATCHI ABEL MARKET THEATRE FOUNDATION

Ar st Exchanges Patron Auc on and Absa Exhibi on Partner Funder Partner Partner Boston Friends of APS Educa onal Partner Educa onal Partner Educa onal Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Partner Funder Patron Funder Auc on Patron Partner Partner Partner Auc on Patron Advisor Partner Partner Partner Patron and Advisor Partner Partner Auc on Partner Boston Friends of APS Auc on Partner

2015 2016 2015/2016 2015 2015 2015 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015/2016 2015

MARY SHERWOOD BROCK MARY SLACK AND DAUGHTERS FOUNDATION MASTRANTONIO/ARTE VITA MELYNDA GIERARD MICHELLE CONSTANT NICKY WESSELS NATIONAL LOTTERIES COMMISSION PAM ALLARA PATTERN MATCHED TECHNOLOGIES RAND MERCHANT BANK RICCI LYONS SA TAXI FOUNDATION SOUTH AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FUND STRAUSS AND CO SUSIE GOODMAN THE ARTIST'S PRESS THE BOSTON ART CONNECTION EXPANSION UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG WILLEM VAN DER WALT WILLIAM KENTRIDGE

Patron Funder Partner Partner Advisor Patron and Advisor Funder Boston Friends of APS Partner Funder Advisor Partner Partner Partner Advisor Auc on Funder Partner Advisor Partner

excellence through possibilty

WHO WE ARE

r st Proof Studio is a printmaking centre of excellence, founded in 1991 by the late Nhlanhla Xaba and Kim Berman. We specialise in printmaking through a variety of diverse partnerships with young ar sts, established professionals, community groups, patrons, and funders. The organisa on has been ac ve in the Newtown Cultural Precinct in Central Johannesburg for 25 years and has been one of the pioneering community art centres in the area since before its development as a cultural hub. The Vision for Ar st Proof Studio is founded on a sense of shared humanity whereby people of talent and passion can reach for excellence in art making to achieve self-sustainability.

The Mission of Ar st Proof Studio is to provide an environment to develop ci zens with a common set of values, expressed in the no on of Ubuntu, that have talent and passion to achieve ar s c excellence. APS focuses on printmaking and its allied outreach programmes to build capacity of people to reach selfactualisa on and make a diďŹ&#x20AC;erence in society.