Welcome to Mixed Media, the official blog of The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB).

Saturday, November 28, 2015

A different kind of craftsman: Andrew Ash, 35 years of framing experience

Andrew Ash has been putting the finishing touches on artwork for 35 years without a paintbrush in sight. A creative of a different nature, Ash began working as a framer in 1980; he claims his is the longest career in the industry in the entire Bahamas.
His career in the craft began at a local shop on Shirley Street called The Frame Center. Under the eye of Richard Charlow, who was then one of The Bahamas’ most respected framers, Ash learned the basics.
“The first thing he taught me was how to read the measuring tape by writing different measurements on strips of paper and taking these strips home to study every night,” recalled Ash.
He mastered cutting and joining the molding and cutting matboard, glass and backing before he was allowed to assemble the piece in a process known as “completing”.
Since 1980, Ash has worked at The Frame Centre, Balmain Antiques Framing – both now closed – and Andrew Aitken Frame Art. Over the decades, he’s been using his skills to complement works by many of the country’s foremost artists of both newer and older generations. Among his clientele have been Brent Malone, whose works are now featured in Reincarnation, a retrospective exhibition at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, and Lavar Munroe, who was recently featured in the main exhibition at the 2015 Venice Biennale.
These days, though, he can be found at The Place for Art – a business he owns with art educator Kim Smith.

Building rapport

Ash and Smith met in 1992, when Ash framed a particularly sentimental work for Smith, who had recently moved to The Bahamas from Canada.
“I needed the first drawing I had done in The Bahamas framed, and Simonetta Raymond-Barker referred me to a framing shop called Balmain Antiques and Framing where Andrew was employed as the framer,” Smith recalled.


An artist and teacher for over 30 years, Smith established The Place for Art in 2001 as an art education center offering afterschool, evening and weekend art lessons for young people and adults. It was originally located off East Bay Street in the Island Traders Building. All the while, Ash framed Smith’s works, even after Balmain closed.
It was then, in 2007, that Smith pitched the idea of opening a framing business together, but it wasn’t until a few years later, with little push from Pam Burnside, owner of Doongalik Studios, that plans began coming together.
“In 2012 Pam Burnside offered one of her vacant buildings on the property to Andrew and me to create the framing business. We decided to incorporate the art classes with the picture framing and relocate to the Village Road location,” explained Smith.
“It took a few years to get organized and to get the funding we needed to open, but in January of 2015, we became Nassau’s newest custom picture framing boutique,” he added.

The Place for Art
Smith’s art lessons haven’t slowed as The Place for Art has expanded its services to included specializing in “archival framing”.
            “This means that all of our materials are of archival quality, giving art and photos, or other treasured documents the best protection from damaging ultraviolet rays and chemical deterioration,” explained Smith.
Framing is a personal experience. Ash offers guidance on framing styles to help each client determine a design that works best for her or him. He takes the artwork’s measurements before providing a quote. And though The Place for Art’s framing service has earned a reputation that keeps Ash busy, the company still manages to guarantee a three-day turnaround on all its framing jobs.   
The Place for Art is located at Doongalik Studios on Village Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. To find out more about Smith’s art lessons and Ash’s framing work, call The Place for Art at 393-8834.


The Art of Matt Wild to be Featured at Festival Noel

Freeport, Bahamas – As the Festival Noel committee strings the lights, restaurants prepare their menus and Bristol Wines and Spirits chills the wine, one of the most important aspects of Festival Noel is beginning to arrive at the Rand Nature Centre - the art!


This year’s featured artist is Matthew Wildgoose (aka Matt Wild), a Grand Bahama native who is well-known for his acting talents on Cable Bahamas and BTC commercials and is now showing off his passion for painting.
Wild has displayed his art both locally and internationally, with his first two art exhibitions paying homage to Bahamian pop icons.  Matthew’s art has been described as ‘Drama on Canvas’ where he chooses to paint iconic personalities in a powerful and dramatic way. During his first international art show Wild’s inspiration came from classic cinema.  His first buyers during that exhibition were actor Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya!

“I was thrilled to be asked to exhibit at Festival Noel,” noted Wild. “It’s exciting to have my work showcased at this very popular event.  I don’t know who is more thrilled – me or my mother?”

Wild’s art can be found in countless homes as well as in art collections at Sapodilla Restaurant & Estate, the British Colonial Hilton hotel and Towne Hotel, located in downtown Nassau. It is also part of the “Dawn Davies Art Collection” and the D'Aguilar Art Foundation.  His art can be seen in murals at The Bahamas Humane Society in Nassau, Bahamas (New Providence) and the Junkanoo Museum in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

“Festival Noel is a wonderful avenue for artists to showcase and sell their artwork to over 400 guests that we annually attract to our event,” noted, Lakeshia Anderson, BNT Grand Bahama National Parks Manager.  “Besides Matt, we currently have eight talented artists also displaying their work and this year we will welcome a young upcoming Bahamian artist, Lamaro Smith, who we hope will inspire others.”

To date, artists participating in Festival Noel 2015 are Adagio Art by Del Foxton, The Painter Poet – Aaron Hanna, Lamaro Smith, the Grand Bahama Artists Association, Paola Correa de Albury, Ken Heslop, Magnolia Designs by Orelia Bowe and Creative DeSigns by Stephanie Doland-Gilbert.

All of this art will go on display at the annual fundraiser for the BNT – Festival Noel - held this year on Friday, December 4th at 7pm at the Rand Nature Centre.  Tickets are on sale for $50 in advance for BNT members and $55 for non-members and $60 on the day of the event for all.  Tickets can be purchased at Rand Nature Centre, the Art of Giving, Bristol Wines and Spirits and Barefoot Marketing. 

To see more of Wild’s art interested persons can visit the Festival Noel event page, which is also giving daily updates on all participants, sponsors and entertainers.

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The Bahamas National Trust was created by an Act of Parliament in 1959 to build and manage the national park system of the Bahamas. Possibly the only non-governmental organization in the world charged with such a responsibility the TRUST, as it is commonly known works daily to conserve and protect the natural resources of The Bahamas, through stewardship and education for present and future generations. There are currently 27 National Parks managed by the TRUST with more than 2 million acres of marine and terrestrial areas protected.

Monday, November 23, 2015

What’s on at the NAGB November/December

Seasonal hours and Insurance Management’s special
The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is getting into the holiday spirit with extended visiting hours. The gallery is normally open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Now, the NAGB is offering an extra hour of visiting time, remaining open until 5 p.m. to give students and families time to visit after school. This will come in handy next month, when Insurance Management will be underwriting the cost of NAGB admission for all Bahamians and residents.
From December 19 to January 16, locals will be able to enjoy the Brent Malone retrospective exhibition free of charge, courtesy of Insurance Management. R. Brent Malone: Reincarnation features more than 260 works by legendary Bahamian artist, Brent Malone. In true seasonal style, visitors are sure to appreciate the Junkanoo exhibition, where more than 50 works tell the story of Junkanoo’s importance to the local creative community.


Mixed Media Store sale

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is pleased to announce its pre-Christmas Mixed Media store sale beginning November 22 and ending December 6.
The Mixed Media store recently underwent a renovation and features locally-made products by more than 60 artists and artisans, including jewelry, pens, woodcarvings, business card holders, pottery and more. Written works by local authors, historians and poets have also made their home on the store’s shelves.
Shoppers are encouraged to stop in during the store’s hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

COB talk

On Thursday, November 24, Marion Bethel will speak on the journey to women's suffrage in The Bahamas, which spanned more than a decade, going from 1948 to 1962. Her presentation will explore the interrelated topics of race, gender & class during this struggle for suffrage. The evening will also involve a screening of the documentary “Womanish Ways”, on the women’s suffrage movement.
‘Gentle Giant’ screening

On December 2, the gallery will screen “Gentle Giant: The Andre Rodgers Story”. A documentary on the life of Andre Rodgers, the first Bahamian to play Major League Baseball, “Gentle Giant” tells the story of Rodgers growing up in a colonized Bahamas and playing in the U.S. in the 50s and 60s during a time of civil unrest. The film covers Rodgers’ 11-season Major League career and gives viewers an understanding of the struggles he overcame throughout. As with all screenings at the NAGB, this one is free to attend and open to all members of the public.


Sunday, November 22, 2015

HENRY DAVIS’ BOOK AND CD MY COUNTRY, MY ISLAND STORIES TO BE LAUNCHED AT DOONGALIK STUDIOS

Doongalik Studios will host the Book and CD Launch of Henry Davis’ “My Country, My Island Stories” on Sunday, November 22 from 3-5pm.

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Henry Davis was born and raised in New Bight, Cat Island where he attended New Bight All Age School and Old Bight High School.  The last son of sixteen (16) siblings, after graduating, Davis left Cat Island and relocated to Freeport, Grand Bahama where he currently resides.

The stories in Davis’ book are all real and reflect the exciting life he experienced growing up in Cat Island where he was used to going in the field, going fishing on the boat, catching crabs, shooting marbles, running from ‘sperid’ (ghost), rolling tires and trains, singing, and playing musical instruments. 

Davis stated that in recent conversations with his three sons explaining what his childhood was like growing up on the island, he realized that they did not understand the unique life he had lived as a child, which, although challenging, was filled with many stories of value.  “One of the primary purposes for writing my book was to convey our trek as a people from way back, our system as a country and our government. History, Culture, Religion and Love are some of the emotions you would experience and the book will awaken memories that to some may have been asleep for some time.  To say you will laugh, I most certainly think so.  To say you will cry or become emotional, I say yes!”

“While writing my book I found myself singing, and as a result of that, I wrote several songs based on the stories in the book, and a CD was also born which I recorded along with two of my wonderful lady friends. The music is in the traditional Cat Island singing style.” The music will be played at the Book Launch and Davis will be on hand to autograph his book.


For more information contact the gallery at 394-1886.