About Us

Biography

Rob McCallum is a recognized transformation leader in the field of visual art and education.

Achieved accomplishments in a range of positions, including Executive Management Team, Dean, Head of Department, Chairman of Adult Education Projects, Executive Committee Member for strategic planning in three Higher Education Institutions, and carried portfolios in the areas of education, funding, marketing, art and design (including jewelry and fine art), program development, linked to private, government, non-profit, national and international interests in South Africa and the USA.

Rob McCallum mastered a wide range of leadership skills from being an invited speaker (keynote) to numerous functions and writer to leading projects in highly complex and politically sensitive environments related to issues around visual culture and art education. Negotiated productive strategic alliances, and in a management position has played an important role in helping to transform art educational structures in a post apartheid South Africa.

Sipho Mdanda was born in Durban on 11th May 1960. He graduated with B.A. Fine Art honours and HED Diploma at the University of Fort Hare. He furthered his studies at University of Wales, Cardiff where he obtained M.Ed (Art Education). Sipho Has taught at many institutions, ranging from High School, Teacher Training College, Community Art Centres and Wits Technikon (University of Johannesburg).

He is currently employed as a Museum curator at The Freedom Park. His curatorial projects covers a number of local and international shows, including Urban Features (2000), Racism (2001), Sondela: Witnessing 10 years of democracy (2003) and Cleansing and Healing; a Photographic exhibition (2004)

Sipho Mdanda's passion is researching about South African Artists dating back from 1800’s to today. To keep abreast of the developments in the contemporary art scene, Sipho reviews art exhibition for Art South Africa Magazine, one of the respected contemporary publications. He is invited to open numerous exhibitions and give talks at various colleges about the “state of art in South Africa, with special reference to contemporary South African art”.

The work at Freedom Park is generally about the Cultural history of South Africa, looking at the past with the intention of interpretation of history as a united South African nation. The challenges are “how do you tell a South African story that dates back to 3, 6 billion years where Black South Africans had never participated in the writing of that history”?