Artist Proof Studio Sale

Artist Proof Studio’s 35th-anniversary show in Johannesburg has paired a physical exhibition with a timed online auction that runs through 17 April. (straussart.co.za) The exhibition, titled *Artist Proof Studio at 35: A Continuing Commitment to Artists, Access and Excellence*, opened on 9 March 2026 at Strauss & Co’s Houghton premises. It brings together work by more than 50 alumni of the Johannesburg printmaking school. (straussart.co.za) Strauss & Co’s timed online sale, listed as “APS 35: A Legacy in Printmaking,” runs from 11 March to 17 April 2026 and includes 174 lots. The auction listing shows estimates ranging from about 2,500 South African rand to 100,000 South African rand. (straussart.co.za) Artist Proof Studio said it was founded in 1991 by Kim Berman and the late Nhlanhla Xaba as an open-access printmaking center in Johannesburg. Strauss & Co said the school has trained more than 400 artists over 35 years, many of them previously excluded from formal study. (artistproofstudio.co.za) (straussart.co.za) The sale is tied to Artist Proof Studio’s education model, which combines studio training with public exhibitions and print sales. Artist Proof Studio said its work spans training, collaborations, sales and community engagement, while recent program notes said proceeds support education programmes, bursaries, materials and studio access. (artistproofstudio.co.za) (goodthingsguy.com) That structure matters in printmaking because prints are made in editions, not as a single one-off object. Artist Proof Studio says editions created in its professional workshop help artists reach galleries and fairs, and Good Things Guy reported that repeated sales can give artists a steadier income stream than a single sale. (artistproofstudio.co.za) (goodthingsguy.com) The anniversary show is also built as a career survey. Strauss & Co said each featured artist is represented by a biographical profile, a linocut portrait printed by current students, an early print and a recent work. (straussart.co.za) Artist Proof Studio’s recent history shapes the pitch of the sale. Strauss & Co said the organization rebuilt after a 2003 fire that destroyed much of the studio and killed co-founder Xaba, then moved to its current Houghton home in 2020. (straussart.co.za) The exhibition closes on 17 April, and Strauss & Co has scheduled a Johannesburg walkabout for 15 April 2026. The online sale gives buyers outside the gallery a way to bid before the anniversary show comes down. (goodthingsguy.com) (straussart.co.za)