The Everard Phenomenon is a major exhibition of the much neglected Everard Group of painters which comprises the work of four generations of South African women artists from the same family. It opens at the Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg on August 22 and will be on view there until the end of September. Thereafter, the exhibition will travel to the Tatham Art Gallery where it will be on show from October 12 until November 12.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue with essays on the art of the painters by Marion Arnold, Melanie Hillebrand and Valerie Leigh. Curator of the exhibition Jill Addleson, a former director of the Durban Art Gallery, has compiled biographies of all the Everard painters, the bibliography, interviews with the Everard painters and the catalogue details of works on exhibition. All works on exhibition are illustrated in the catalogue. On sale at R35, it features many colour photographs.

Everard artists belonging to the first generation are the two sisters Edith King (1871-1962) and Bertha Everard (1873-1965). The next generation is represented by Bertha's two daughters, Rosamund Everard Steenkamp (1907-1946) and Ruth Everard Haden (1904-1992), followed by Ruth’s daughter, Leonora Everard Haden (1937 - ) and granddaughter Nichola Leigh (1966 - ) who both live in Pietermaritzburg.

More details from Curator of The Everard Phenomenon exhibition, Jill Addleson: Durban Art Gallery, P O Box 4085, Durban, 4000. Or phone (031) 332-7286 and e-mail jilla@crsu.durban.gov.za