Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Arlene Amaler-Raviv received a BA FineArt Degree from the University of the Witwatersrand where she studied under Robert Hodgins. In the 70’s she was involved in art education, workshops,teaching and teacher training programmes.
From 1979 she has held many solo exhibitions at Everard Read Gallery, Market Theatre Gallery and group shows both in South Africa and abroad. During the 1990’s she lectured at the University of Pretoria, FUBA and at the Katlehong Art Center (BACA). In 1996 she lived in the Netherlands where she assisted in the curatorship of the exhibition of ‘Africa meets Africa’ at the Museum of Ethnology, Rotterdam.
1997 Amaler-Raviv moved to Cape Town where numerous projects developed. A twenty meter sight-specific installation for the District Six Sculpture Project ‘Dislocation Relocation’; large oil paintings on glass ‘Departure’ at Mark Coetzee Fine Art and two collaborative exhibitions with photographer Dale Yudelman – ‘One’ at the Association for Visual Arts and ‘Where the Mountain meets the City’ at 232 Long Street.
In 2000 Vodacom commissioned Amaler-Raviv to create an installation of seventeen oil paintings on aluminium. Spier acquired a 2m x 2m portrait of Mandela for their collection in 2002. Many of her paintings and works hang in private collections around the world and publicly in major art collections in South Africa.
1973 BA Fine Arts degree – University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.
1974 Higher Education Teachers’ Diploma, Johannesburg College of Education developed practical projects for art education in schools.
1975 Art Music and Ballet School, Johannesburg – developed and taught programmes in Fine Art, History of Art, painting and design.
1976-88 Workshops: adults – drawing, painting, art appreciation and art criticism / children – perceptual awareness through art-related activities.
1979 King David High School, Linksfield Johannesburg – std. 6 to matric, Art Education programme.
1981 Johannesburg College of Education – high school teacher training programme.
Participated in Junction Avenue Theatre work-shops FOSATU Conference, Milner Park, Johannesburg – initiated and co-ordinated a children’s art work-shop.
1982 Art Technikon, Ramat Hasharon, Israel – studied painting and art criticism.
1985 Centre for Continuing Education, University of the Witwatersrand developed painting programme for adult education.
1987 The Women’s Art Festival – Fuba Gallery, Newtown, Johannesburg – organized exhibition of 30 women artists.
1989 Initiated and chaired committee to endeavour to establish Visual Artists Centre, Bree Street, Newtown, Johannesburg.
1990 Member of Artists Alliance working groups: Policy and planning committee, Exhibitions Committee, Art Education and Therapy working group. Co-organized collection of work for Mall Art Postcard Exhibition by South African women artists. Works exhibited in 1990 in Soho Gallery, New York. Participated in the collection of work for exhibition of “Contemporary Visual Culture in South Africa” curated by David Elliot, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, England.
1991 Art Foundation – initiated painting programme for children.
1992 University of Pretoria – lecturer, Department of Fine Art St Johns College, Johannesburg. Part-time teacher, Art Department.
1993 University of Pretoria – lecturer, Department of Fine Arts Participated in the Art Educators’ Association (AEA) with emphasis on teacher-training projects in the future.
FUBA, Johannesburg – co-ordinated Fine Art Programme Katlehong Art Centre (now Visual Art & Craft Academy) (VACA) – art education programme for Matric certification.
1994 Initially participated on Education Committee – proposal for Africus Biennale Katlehong Art Centre (VACA).
1995 Katlehong Art Centre (VACA).
1996 Lived and worked in the Netherlands.
1997 Moved to Cape Town.
