Media release
ZEITZ MOCAA WELCOMES NINE NEW ART AND CULTURE LUMINARIES TO ITS GLOBAL COUNCIL, EXPANDING THE INSTITUTION’S IMPACT AND REACH IN THE CULTURAL WORLD
- Nine pan-African and international visionaries join the Zeitz MOCAA Global Council.
- The Global Council strengthens the museum’s mission to present, promote and preserve contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora.
- The new members bring a wealth of expertise, creativity, and diverse perspectives to the Global Council.
(Cape Town, 8 April 2025): Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is honoured to welcome Dr Anita Blanchard (USA), Dave Ross (USA), Holly Peterson (USA), Jessica Nowitzki (Sweden), Michael Armitage (Kenya/UK), Sarah Arison (USA), Makole Mupita (RSA), as well as Otobong Nkanga and Wim van Dongen (Nigeria/Belgium and The Netherlands/Belgium) to its Global Council. These luminaries from the worlds of art, philanthropy, and business join existing members to support Zeitz MOCAA’s mission to present, promote and preserve cutting edge contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora.
Dr Anita Blanchard is a renowned Chicago-based philanthropist and cultural advocate who, together with her husband Martin Nesbitt, has made significant contributions to supporting contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora. Dave Ross is a long-time art collector and patron of artists with his own studio practice based in Miami. Holly Peterson is an award-winning writer and President of the Joan Ganz Cooney & Holly Peterson Foundation. Jessica Nowitzki is an art collector, President of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, and principal of Wangu Art Consultancy, and is dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between Africa and the international art community. Michael Armitage is a celebrated artist whose work explores the intersection of African identity and contemporary global art, making a mark with major exhibitions across the globe. Sarah Arison is a philanthropist and advocate for arts education and cultural engagement. She serves as President of MoMA in New York. Makole Mupita is an art supporter based in Johannesburg. She is Co-founder of Mahlako A Phahla Group, an African women-owned social infrastructure group specialising in advisory services, financial services and alternative investment management. Otobong Nkanga is an acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist and recipient of the 2025 Zeitz MOCAA Award for Artistic Excellence. Her work focuses on the relationships between land, resources, and identity, addressing global environmental issues through African perspectives. She is joined by her husband Wim van Dongen, a retired IT and education consultant who has worked with educational publishers, IT consultancy firms, and higher education institutions, and manages Otobong Nkanga’s studio.
The new additions bring the contingent to 27 diverse and distinguished members, including Global Council Founding Members Bame Pule, Joanna Masiyiwa, Julie Mehretu, Michèle Sandoz, Pulane Tshabalala Kingston, Samallie Kiyingi, Wangechi Mutu, and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA. The Global Council is chaired by Acha Leke, Senior Partner and Chairperson of McKinsey Africa.
Zeitz MOCAA Executive Director and Chief Curator, Koyo Kouoh, expressed excitement about the new appointments: “These nine individuals are leaders in their respective fields, and their expertise and vision will help Zeitz MOCAA strengthen its position as a groundbreaking institution dedicated to making contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora accessible to all. Their involvement will be instrumental in advancing our mission to foster art institution building, as well as growing appreciation of artistic and critical dialogues in society.”
Chairperson Acha Leke added: “The growth of the Global Council speaks to Zeitz MOCAA’s expanding global influence and its crucial role in the ongoing transformation of African contemporary arts and culture. We are excited to welcome these remarkable individuals to our mission and look forward to the impact we will create together.”
The Global Council continues to support Zeitz MOCAA’s vision to produce and present cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions and art historical knowledge, enhance the careers of Africa’s most talented artists in the 21st century and beyond, strengthen its education programmes, and ensure access for all.
For more information or to become a member of the Zeitz MOCAA Global Council, please contact Claire Breukel, Head of Global Patronage at Zeitz MOCAA, at claire.breukel@zeitzmocaa.museum.
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Please find the media toolkit with full biographies, imagery and image credits, here. For media enquiries, contact Evaan Jason Ferreira at evaanjason.ferreira@zeitzmocaa.museum.
Issued by Zeitz MOCAA Communications.
About Zeitz MOCAA
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a groundbreaking public not-for-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding; and ensures access for all.
The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with dedicated space for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the BMW Centre for Art Education, and The Atelier, a museum residency programme for artists living and working in Cape Town.
Zeitz MOCAA, situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, is open Monday through Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm (last entry at 5.30 PM). zeitzmocaa.museum