# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum
- **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 at 09:00 am – Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 at 03:00 pm
- **Event Description**: Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum: Commemorating Youth Day through Heritage, Creativity and Reflection

On Tuesday, 16 June 2026, Oliewenhuis Art Museum invites the public to a special Youth Day celebration – a day to reflect, engage and unwind in a welcoming, family-friendly setting in Bloemfontein. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, this event honours the legacy of the young South Africans whose courage helped shape the country’s journey towards democracy.

Youth Day is more than a day of remembrance; it is also a time to recognise the enduring impact of youth in South Africa’s past, present and future. Since its official declaration in 1994, Youth Day has become a powerful reminder of the pivotal role that young people continue to play in advocating for justice, equality and freedom.

To mark this important day, Oliewenhuis Art Museum will be open from 09:00 to 15:00 for a vibrant celebration of art, culture and togetherness. Families and friends are encouraged to bring along a picnic and enjoy the museum’s picturesque front garden while listening to a variety of music played by a live DJ, making for a relaxing outdoor experience.

Children will delight in the charming African Carousel, with rides available for just R5 each, while all visitors are invited to explore the museum’s Sculpture Park and nearby walking trails. These natural and artistic spaces offer a serene environment for quiet reflection, exploration and family fun.

Inside the museum, visitors will be treated to a selection of thought-provoking exhibitions currently on display, each offering insight into South Africa’s rich cultural identity and artistic innovation.

Exhibitions on Display:
Uhambo Lwemi Moya: A solo exhibition by Quincy Mbuso Hlongwa
Venue: Annex Gallery | On view until 28 June 2026
Uhambo Lwemi Moya (The Journey of My Spirit) is a solo exhibition by South African artist Quincy Mbuso Hlongwa, featuring a compelling body of figurative paintings that explore identity, personal reflection, and emotional landscapes.

Through bold colour and expressive figuration, Hlongwa creates intimate scenes that reflect on moments of stillness, connection, and the human experience. His work draws from lived experience, using symbolic environments and striking compositions to invite viewers to reflect on their own journeys of identity and belonging.

Àṣẹ: Grounded in Being, Rising in Thought - An exhibition curated by the Art Museum Guides of Oliewenhuis Art Museum
Venue: Reservoir Gallery | On view until 16 June 2026
Oliewenhuis Art Museum is proud to present Àṣẹ́: Grounded in Being, Rising in Thought, a new exhibition conceived and curated by six Art Museum Guides: Lepedi Seqebu, Babalwa Manyungwana, Letlhogonolo Potsanyane, Refilwe Molebatsi, Boikanyo Mathe and Karabelo Matuka. The exhibition explores how contemporary artistic practices remain grounded in human experience while adapting to evolving tools, technologies and social realities. 

Drawing its title from the Yoruba philosophical and spiritual principle of Àṣẹ́ - the vital life force that carries the power to bring intention to form and transform thought into reality. The exhibition examines art as an active site of reflection, resistance and transformation.

Unfolding across five interconnected themes, the exhibition features a carefully considered selection of paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures drawn from the Permanent Collection of Oliewenhuis Art Museum and the ArtbankSA Contemporary Collection. Together, these works reveal art as a conscious and evolving practice shaped by presence, history, knowledge systems and choice.

Learning through art: Museum as classroom  
Venue: 1st Floor, Main Building | On view until 19 July 2026
This exhibition is a visual celebration of renowned South African artists like Helen Sebidi, Judith Mason, William Kentridge and other celebrated artists for everyone to enjoy. The exhibition focusses on the Grade 12 Visual Art curriculum and includes artworks that highlight gender issues, identity, religion and the role art play in socio-politics. The artworks were carefully chosen with the aim of enhancing the learning experience for students and allowing them to delve into art beyond their textbooks and engage with it first-hand.

The museum acts as an interactive classroom, offering teachers and learners the opportunity to explore, engage with, and analyse these captivating artworks. The exhibition is curated from Oliewenhuis Art Museum's Permanent Collection.

Freedom: The Art of Choosing Together
Venue: Main Building | On view until 16 June 2026
This exhibition was inspired by Freedom Day as well as 2026 being the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. Freedom Day commemorates the historic 1994 elections, when South Africans of all backgrounds voted for the first time and during 2026, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is focusing on 30 Years of Constitutional Democracy under the theme: 30 Years of Constitutional Democracy: One Constitution, One Nation – Reflect, Renew, Recommit.  

Oliewenhuis Art Museum and ArtbankSA staff members have chosen an artwork that personally resonates with this theme. Artworks were selected from Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection and the Collection of the Art Bank of South Africa. Our aim was to create a comfortable space for everyone to be able to share their stories and perspectives through art and to celebrate the freedom of choosing together under the protection of our Constitution.

Timeless
Venue: 1st Floor, Main Building | On view until 26 July 2026.
A selection of timeless artworks from Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection. Curated with the intention to create a collectively shared and relaxing visual experience for all to enjoy. 

Sculpture Park and Cement and Mosaic Project
Venue: Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Gardens)
Visitors can also enjoy the museum’s Sculpture Park, which houses 16 sculptures by various South African artists as well as the functional sculptures created as part of the Cement and Mosaic Project.

Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00. Please note that the main gate closes to new arrivals at 16:30 on weekdays and 15:30 on weekends; however, visitors already inside are welcome to enjoy the museum until closing time. A ramp at the entrance of the main entrance provides access for wheel chairs, while a lift provides access to the Permanent Collection display areas on the 1st floor. R10 parking fee will be charged but entrance to the museum is free. 

For more information on Oliewenhuis Art Museum please contact the Museum at 078 968 4300 or oliewen@nasmus.co.za. Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and X for all upcoming exhibitions and events.

Celebrate history, art and the energy of youth with us this Youth Day at Oliewenhuis Art Museum.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/bloemfontein/commemorating-youth-day-2026-at-oliewenhuis-art-museum/200030204204448
- **Event Categories**: Art, Exhibitions, fine-arts, Sports, trips-adventures
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 4

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Bloemfontein
- **state**: FS
- **country**: South Africa
- **location**: Oliewenhuis Art Museum
- **lat**: -29.099301995676
- **long**: 26.218893527985
- **full address**: Oliewenhuis Art Museum, 16 Harry Smith Street,Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/b382ee10a0d5175201917695b22cdc57edcb463cf16f07c82d2bda1228f2a3de-rimg-w1200-h452-dcfec015-gmir?v=1780922988

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum being held?
  - **A:** Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum takes place on Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 at 09:00 am to Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 at 03:00 pm at Oliewenhuis Art Museum, 16 Harry Smith Street,Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum?
  - **A:** Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum is organized by Oliewenhuis.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Bloemfontein, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Commemorating Youth Day 2026 at Oliewenhuis Art Museum sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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