Edoardo Villa became an external examiner at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Visual Arts. In this position he made a valuable contribution to the curriculum of the Sculpting Department. In 1983 he created a bursary for sculpting students and the first donation of works by him was made in 1985 during the inauguration of the Fine Arts Building.
At the same time Villa lent two of his large sculptures to the University, which were later purchased by the institution. At the beginning of 1991 Villa was awarded the Chancellor’s medal for his contribution to the art of sculpting. He was also appointed honorary professor in the Department of Fine Arts and Art History.
The Museum itself had its beginning during 1994\95 when Villa donated 140 small and 10 large works to the University.
During the time of the Museum’s existence many exhibitions and concerts have been held here. The most noteworthy of these were the 2001 Large Steel Sculpture exhibition and the 2004 ’Villa Behind the Mask’ exhibition. Both these exhibitions brought new works to the Museum and through the years it has also received many donations. During the first 14 years 51 items were added to the collection, which increased the original number of works from 143 to 177.
The Edoardo Villa Museum presently houses the largest single collection of works by this artist and presents a broad overview of his work between 1943 and 2004.
Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 10:00-16:00 (or by appointment)
