The
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas NAGB has seen the ending of another
prominent show – The Seventh National Exhibition, Antillean: an Ecology. A
success by most measures, the exhibition provoked discussions about race,
class, economy and gender from students at the primary level to senior
generations. It transcended cultural and societal barriers to get people
thinking about the intangible, but longstanding, barriers hindering the
country’s unity and progression.
Now
the NAGB looks forward to opening its upcoming temporary exhibition,
Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank: A Pillar of Arts Commitment.
Celebrating 40 Years of The Central
Bank: A Pillar of Arts Commitment will highlight the role Central Bank of The
Bahamas has played in developing the country’s visual arts community since its
founding. Organizers intend the show to commemorate Central Bank’s commitment
to serving as a reservoir of wealth in both financial and cultural spheres. The
exhibition will showcase over 80 works by 72 artists featured in Central Bank’s
extensive art collection. Curated by NAGB Director Amanda Coulson, the show opens
on June 2.
History
Central
Bank of The Bahamas was established in 1974, and under the governance of T.
Baswell Donaldson, it began investing in artwork to adorn its headquarters
downtown.
By the bank’s 10th
anniversary in 1984, it already held a reasonable collection, with works by the
early pioneers of Bahamian art, like Eddie Minnis and Max Taylor. The bank’s
governor during those years, Sir William Allen, is remembered as a prominent
supporter of the visual arts in The Bahamas. Under his leadership, Villa Doyle
was purchased as the grounds for the future National Art Gallery of The
Bahamas. He noted, during his term in office, that though many Bahamians were
acquiring symbols of wealth during the economic boom, art was not included in
the schema of markers of success the way that cars and clothing were; many
Bahamian artists were still struggling.
With hopes of offering a
continuous display of artwork to the public, the bank repurposed its reception
area on Market Street and Trinity Place into a gallery space.
Establishing two annual
competitions for high school students and artists under 26, respectively,
Central Bank hoped to encourage young Bahamians to pursue art while adding to
its collection simultaneously. Contest winners would receive cash prizes and
have their work join the Central Bank collection.
The contests and gallery
brought attention to art creation and collection and made a public
statement about the importance of visual art in community.
In 1984, noted
artist Antonius Roberts was announced as the first Central Bank curator – a
position he held for 10 years. It was his job to oversee the competition and exhibition
space. Through his and his successors’ work, the names and work of hundreds, if
not thousands, of developing Bahamian artists came to public attention. Roberts
has since returned to serve as the bank’s curator.
Legacy
Today, the Central Bank
high school and open category competitions continue to inspire the development
of groundbreaking artists.
The talents of Jace
McKinney, whose remarkable “Where is He Going, Where Has He Been” piece won the
2012 Central Bank Open Category Competition and now stands in the NAGB’s
permanent exhibition; it continues to wow gallery visitors on a regular basis.
Another young Bahamian
who has benefited from the bank’s commitment to fine art collection and
promotion is Central Bank Assistant Curator Jodi Minnis. A young artist
herself, Minnis works alongside Roberts as the Central Bank curatorial
assistant. She is also known for her work with the NAGB as the gallery’s
assistant.
Jackson Petit is a third
example of an artist linked to both the NAGB and Central Bank. The painter has
worked in the NAGB’s curatorial and digital media departments for 10 years. He
jumpstarted his creative career early on with his “Nature Intertwined” piece,
which won the bank’s high school competition in 2001. In 2011, he won the
bank’s open competition with his “Beautiful Monsters” work. Both pieces will be
featured in the upcoming exhibition at the NAGB.
Lavar Munroe, whose
pieces are currently on display at the exclusive and renowned Venice Biennale,
also got his foot in the door with “My Love, My Passion, My Art” – a youthful
experimentation that won him the 2003 open competition. He won again in 2009
with “You Must Be Wondering The Type of Creature I Am”. These works will also
be on display in Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank.
Roshanne Minnis Eyma and
sister Nicole Minnis, who both recently exhibited at the NAGB in The
Minnis-Eyma family exhibition, Creation’s Grace, are among the many names of
noteworthy Central Bank artists.
“The
art show at the Central Bank of the Bahamas really helped to launch my career
in art. I started competing at age 14, and it encouraged me to start producing
professional work while still in high school. It gave me the validation and
exposure I needed at the time to become a serious artist. I am forever
grateful,” said Minnis-Eyma.
The
exhibition
At Celebrating
40 Years of The Central Bank: A Pillar of Arts Commitment, visitors will art
representing the bank’s history and its outstanding service to Bahamian art.
Guests can look forward to experiencing works celebrating everyday Bahamian
living. The bank’s extensive collection of early development works including
etches, photographs and drawings by now well-known artists in their early
beginnings will also play a starring role in the show, and the exhibition’s
figure section will emphasize recognizable figures, like national pastimes in
R. Brent Malone’s “Junkanoo Cowbeller” and heritate in Erin Treco’s “African
Woman”.
Celebrating 40 Years of The Central
Bank: A Pillar of Arts Commitment opens at 6 p.m. on June 2 at the National Art
Gallery of The Bahamas. Also that night, the inaugural exhibition of the Double
Dutch project, 50/50, starring works by Blue Curry and Bermudian artist James
Cooper will open at the NAGB. For more information on the NAGB’s upcoming
exhibitions, contact the gallery at 328-5800 or visit its website at
nagb.org.bs.
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