Malmesbury welcomes first-ever Maggie Laubser Day with homecoming celebration
Malmesbury will mark a historic cultural moment on 14 April 2026 with the launch of the first-ever annual Maggie Laubser Day, bringing one of South Africa’s most influential artists back to her place of origin in a celebration that blends heritage, community and education.
The initiative is led by the Maggie Laubser Foundation and centres on a homecoming programme in the Swartland town where Laubser was born on the farm Bloublommetjieskloof. The day forms part of a broader effort to reintroduce Laubser’s work to new audiences while honouring her place in South African art history.
Deon Oliver, well-known Malmesbury financial adviser for Consult by Momentum and chairman of the Maggie Laubser Foundation, says:
“The Foundation was created to give credit to Maggie Laubser as a South African art icon and to promote her work, but also to introduce her art to the next generation. Oliver is passionate about community-driven initiatives that preserve local heritage and create long-term impact – an approach that aligns with Consult’s culture of making a meaningful difference beyond financial advice.
Laubser (1886-1973) was a pioneering female artist at a time when such a creative career path was not always easy for women to tread. Raised on a farm and attending boarding school in Stellenbosch, the young Laubser studied painting in Cape Town before working as a governess in Ermelo. A chance meeting with a retired consul while on holiday in Durban led her and her sister to study in Europe, where her talent and artistic practice flourished. She spent time in an artists’ colony in the Netherlands and travelled the UK, Germany, Italy and Belgium before returning home in 1924. Her Expressionist work was initially criticised by the conservative press, but she found an artistic home with modern contemporaries such as Gregoire Boonzaier and Alexis Preller. Relentlessly talented and hard-working, Laubser’s studies in colour and contrasts led to her being offered membership of the Academy of Art and Science and a major retrospective hosted by the South African National Gallery and the Pretoria Art Museum in 1969. Today, she is regarded as one of the country’s most important artists.
Maggie Laubser Day will host a curated exhibition of 30 original works from the Sanlam Art Collection, displayed at the Malmesbury Museum under the guidance of curator Stefan Hundt. Alongside this, a permanent Maggie Laubser corner will be unveiled, anchoring her legacy within the town.
“It is the first time that Malmesbury is honouring her in this way, says Oliver. “Many people do not realise that she was born and raised here, and this is about bringing that story back home.”
The programme for the day moves from exhibition to conversation, with a discussion session led by Dr Lydia de Waal and Amanda Botha exploring Laubser’s life, work and influence. The artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren wrote a poem in honor of Maggie Laubser and will read it on the day. The poem’s words have been set to music by the Afrikaans band Raaf, who will sing it on the day. A harvest lunch by chef Lawrence Smit will follow, before a guided tour of the exhibition offers visitors a closer look at the collection.
Beyond the main event, the initiative extends into a wider programme focused on youth engagement and cultural continuity.
More than 200 learners from Swartland schools are expected to take part in a Maggie Laubser-inspired drawing and painting initiative, with guided museum tours scheduled on 15 and 22 April.
“We want to make sure her work is not only preserved, but understood and appreciated by younger generations. That’s where the long-term impact lies,” Oliver says.
The exhibition itself will remain open to the public until 26 April 2026, offering extended access to Laubser’s work in a setting closely tied to her early life.
Looking ahead, the Foundation intends for Maggie Laubser Day to become a national moment on the cultural calendar.
“We plan to make this an annual event and, over time, to grow it into a countrywide celebration of art,” says Oliver.
For now, the focus remains on Malmesbury – on reconnecting a place with one of its most significant creative figures and inviting the public to take part.
Tickets for Maggie Laubser Day on 14 April are limited to 100 guests and priced at R350 per person. Bookings can be made via WhatsApp or SMS on 082 826 2473.
