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This fundraising initiative sees hobbyists and renowned artists alike donating A5 sketches, doodles, watercolours, and drawings. Throughout the year, doodle sessions are held around the city where you can create and donate works. At the annual Night of 1000 Drawings exhibition at Victoria Yards, all the artworks are sold for just R200 each, with proceeds going to three Joburg-based charities.
Art for good
The seed for Night of 1000 Drawings was planted in 2006 when the delivery van for Paballo Ya Batho (a soup kitchen in the City Centre) was stolen and the community rallied together to find a solution. As Felix Frankenberger and David Quan Chong were planning a fundraising art exhibition, a new vehicle was donated, but they decided to go ahead with the project's inaugural event. Night of 1000 Drawings has grown legs since those early days. It's a global movement making a difference from Johannesburg to Los Angeles, New Zealand, and beyond.Through artwork sales at their annual exhibition, Night of 1000 Drawings now raises funds for three charities in Joburg. These include community art counselling training centre Lefika La Phodiso, Hillbrow's Home for Hope, an inclusive shelter for the rehabilitation of girls, and Safe Study, an after-school enrichment programme operating in Lorentzville. After a hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic, Night of 1000 Drawings is back this year and stronger than ever.
Choose from thousands of artworks at Victoria Yards
This year's venue, the characterful Victoria Yards in East Joburg, is amongst our favourite spaces in the city. Upon arrival, you can purchase one or more envelopes containing stickers to reserve the artworks you don't want to go home without. For R200, you may snag art by a novice or a prominent local artist. The placing of stickers can get quite competitive – we suggest you arrive early to wind your way through the astonishing array of works on display. Buy your tickets for the 2024 exhibition on Sat, Sep 7 here.
Once a derelict complex of light industrial buildings, Vic Yards is a sprawling site in Lorentzville that has undergone a spectacular re-imagining. Underlying this development was the vision for a complex of makers, artists, and artisans to infuse new life into this downtrodden neighbourhood, which lies between the Maboneng Precinct and Cyrildene's colourful Chinatown. A commitment to greening has resulted in a lush urban garden, perfect for winding your way among the artist studios, workshops, galleries, retail, and food tenants who call Victoria Yards home.
Doodle sessions around Joburg
Fri, Aug 16 from 13:00 – 16:00 and Sat, Aug 17 from 09:00 – 12:00 – Join one of two free Night of 1000 Drawings doodle sessions at Artsavingsclub in Linden.Sat, Aug 17 from 09:00 – 17:00 – Head to Prison Break Market and create your own A5 artwork ahead of the annual Night of 1000 Drawings exhibition.
Fri, Aug 23 from 09:00 – 12:00 and Sat, Aug 24 from 09:00 – 12:00 – Also at Artsavingsclub in Linden, join master printmaker Cloudia Rivett-Carnac and other members of The Printing Girls for one of two free printing sessions to create works for Night of 1000 Drawings.
Artwork drop-off points
In addition to the doodle sessions, there's also the option of creating A5 works at home and taking them to one of the drop-off points in Joburg. These are Victoria Yards, Nice on Poplar, 44 Stanley, Oakfields College, Alf's Stationers, South Art Centre, Keyes Art Mile, Fallen Heroes, The Bliss Monger, Lefika la Phodiso, Salon Bambino, and Luna Black Tattoos. Submissions close on Sat, Aug 31. See more details here.If you'd like to volunteer your skills or host a doodle session, visit Night of 1000 Drawings' website for ways to get involved.
