Tourist routes
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Motheo Art Route...
Follow the Bloemfontein Art Route to ensure that you do not miss out on any of the city's art treasures, such as the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery.
Oliewenhuis Art Gallery and Museum: The Oliewenhuis Art Museum, at 16 Harrismith Street, is housed in a Neo-Cape Dutch Manor house. The former residence of previous Governors-General and State Presidents of South Africa, it became an art museum in 1989 and houses superior local and foreign works of art. The Museum's permanent collection of historical and contemporary South African art features works by renowned South African artitsts such as JH Pierneef, Gregoire Boonzaier and Walter Battiss.
One of the highlights of a visist to the Museum is the Blind Alphabet A, by Willem Boshoff. The work consists of 94 sculptures, each sculpture representing a particular form or shape that can be linked to a particular word or term describing the shape. Carved in various kinds of wood, each sculpture is placed inside a small enclosed black box. Braille plaques are glued onto each lid, explaining the origin of the sculpture and the word that was used. In this way blind people are able to appreciate the sculptures and the sighted are left in the dark! Blind guides are on hand on occasional Sundays to lead sighted visitors through the exhibition. MACUFE and Volksblad Arts Festival offer a picturesque of crafts from local and international artists.
The Sand du Plessis Theatre is considered by many to be one of the most modern theatres in the country. The clever use of glass and light, combined with the beautiful and valuable paintings that forms part of the interior décor, has earned it national acclaim. It is a popular venue for national and international productions. The theatre is named after a one-time Administrator of the province, Mr. JWJC (Sand) Du Plessis, who initiated the establishment of a Free State youth choir in September 1964.
The Orange Free State became the first province to have an officially subsidised youth choir. There are several imposing statues at venues throughout the city. For example, opposite the City Hall, a statue of the late South African statesman, JBM Hertzog, stands surrounded by 33 fountains. The statue is the work of South African sculptor Danie de Jager.
A statue of the Free State Boer hero, General Christiaan de Wet, on his favourite horse, stands guard in front of the Fourth Raadsaal in President Brand Street. The busts of some of South Africa's most renowned Afrikaans writers, poets and musicians stand in the garden of the Old Government Building.
