Recalling Malone’s vibrant influence at Hillside House

            Adding splashes of vibrancy and movement to the walls at Hillside House, artist and art teacher Marco Mullings is currently starring in a solo show at the historic mansion on Cumberland Street. Titled Rhythm… Feel the Beat, the exhibition opened on April 1 and features works inspired by Mullings’ passion for music.

            “It captures everything from jazz to Junkanoo to Rake ‘n’ Scrape,” explained Mullings. “I really wanted to focus on the passion musicians have, which is very similar to the passion I have for painting.”

            In fact, Mullings has made it his life’s work to demonstrate to young Bahamians the benefits of using visual art as a “positive outlet”. Acknowledging the critical role visual art continues to play in the social and historical arena, the educator hopes that the field grows in popularity and respect – particularly for its cathartic ability to be used in self-expression. This can be especially significant in a country struggling with violent crime rates and widespread frustrations regarding the availability of jobs.

            “I don't think art will change social ills, but it can raise awareness and have the ability to impact consciousness,” he explained.

            When he isn’t teaching visual art’s, benefits, history and techniques to students at St. Augustine’s College or making fine art himself, Mullings is an avid Junkanooer. In fact, it was his beginnings in the Junkanoo shack that inspired him to study fine art. His works are reminiscent of the colorful parades and have been heavily influenced by Brent Malone’s legacy.

            Known for being one of the first Bahamian artists to capture the spirit of Junkanoo through fine art, Malone inspired a number of later generations through his use of color and classic imagery.

            “I try to capture things in my own way using my style. I love color, so my work is typically very vibrant, even though some of the works have a darker feel,” said Mullings. “I really love Brent Malone and the work he did, so I wanted to capture that similar essence of some of his work.”

            Rhythm… Feel the Beat showcases 25 pieces curated by artist and studio owner Antonius Roberts. Though it is his first exhibition hosted at Hillside House, the art instructor is no stranger to showing his work; his pieces have been exhibited throughout The Bahamas for almost 20 years.

            “I had requested from last year to use the space because it is so personal,” Mullings recalled. “I love the intimate feeling of the old house. Also, I wanted to use another space that I had not shown my work at before, so I am very appreciative for being given the opportunity.”

            Mullings’ work will be on display at Hillside House until the end of April. Next month, his work can be found at the Artist Pavilion as part of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.

What’s on at the NAGB: Keep a lookout for the gallery’s upcoming artists’ talk and summer camp

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) is pleased to announce more new and upcoming events on its jam-packed calendar.

NE7 catalogues and panel discussion

            First up is the recent arrival of catalogues for the Seventh National Exhibition, Antillean: an Ecology (NE7). The exhibition, which opened on December 11, 2014, has gotten tongues wagging and brains whirring with its subtle and not-so-subtle examinations of the issues surrounding race, class, economy and gender. Antillean: an Ecology will be on display at the NAGB until May 10, after which date the exhibition’s curators hope to see the show travel outside of The Bahamas.

            Those who want to remember the groundbreaking show are encouraged to pick up a copy of the NE7 catalogues, which were freshly delivered last week. The four-color, 147-page catalogues feature addresses by NE7 Co-curators Holly Bynoe and Michael Edwards as well as NAGB Director Amanda Coulson, images of all the show’s works, artist biographies and essays by literary artists. The never-before-seen essays include: "The Haitian As Unspeakable Blackness in the Bahamian Imagination”, by College of The Bahamas (COB) Assistant Professor of English Craig Smith; “Remapping Blackness”, by COB Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett; “What Is Not Yet Can Be Born”, by Helen Klonaris; “Bahamian Identity: Reshaping the Narrative of Belonging”, by COB Associate Professor in the School of English Marie Sairsingh; and poems by Obediah Michael Smith.

                  They can be purchased from the Mixed Media gift shop at the NAGB for $35 (inclusive of VAT) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, and 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

            Linking their recent installation to the Seventh National Exhibition, cousins Nicolette and Margot Bethel, along with architect Anthony Jervis, will be hosting an artists’ talk at the NAGB on April 21. The installation – titled “If” – which currently occupies the PS room at the NAGB, was originally intended to be a part of Antillean: an Ecology, but was instead installed for the 2015 Transforming Spaces Tour. The work is a re-membering of the Bethels’ grandmother’s home, and ventures into territories of class and race, Bahamian architecture and landscape and identity.

            The cousins spent much of their childhood on the East Bay Street property, where both their fathers grew up.  After their grandmother’s death, they began the process of renovation, only to suddenly find it demolished inexplicably and without permission in 2005. To this day, they have no idea who was responsible for the demolition.

            “I like the idea that the three panelists can bring different, yet complementary perspectives to a very layered social, political or personal drama,” explained Margot Bethel. “I hope we are successful in conveying that. And I also hope that some unexpected discussion is generated. I am looking forward to hearing what Tony has to say about this from the perspective of his field as an architect whose practice is concerned with restoration.”

            Those who want to hear the Bethels’ personal accounts of the tragedy first-hand are encouraged to attend the talk, which begins at 6:30 p.m. COB Dean and NE7 artist Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett will be moderating the panel discussion.

Mixed Media Summer Camp

            In the throes of preparation for what is sure to be a summer camp to remember, the NAGB’s education and curatorial teams are readying themselves to select the winners of the mural “paint by numbers” and “writing on the wall” competitions. Still open to submissions, the competition asks visual artists to submit proposals of mural designs and literary artists to send in entries of poetry or prose of 50 words or less to be splashed across outdoor wall spaces by the NAGB’s 2015 summer campers. Both the imagery and poetry or prose should respond to keywords including “mixed media”, “kids”, “art”, “camp”, “colorful”, “fun”, “community”, “dynamic” and “on the hill”. Those interested in entering the competition are encouraged to submit their proposals to Abby Smith, at asmith@nagb.org.bs, or Corinne Lampkin, at clampkin@nagb.org.bs this week.

            On that note, registration for both sessions of the 2015 NAGB Mixed Media Summer Camp is open, and families are encouraged to sign their kids up as soon as possible to reserve their spots. The camp is divided into two three-week sessions. The first takes place from June 22 to July 9; the second will be held from July 13 to 31. Early bird registrants who sign up and pay before April 27 receive a discount of more than 15 percent per session. The cost of the camp includes tuition for three weeks, materials, two T-shirts per camper, field trips and events and a snack and drink each day. To find out more about registering for the camp, contact Abby Smith or Corinne Lampkin at the NAGB.

Next month at the NAGB

            Next month, things to look out for at the NAGB include a spoken word night with C.R. Walker Senior High School students and American poet and motivational speaker Omekongo Dibinga on May 1, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival exhibition in the PS room and the Central Bank collection exhibition titled “40 Years of Commitment to the Arts”, which opens on May 28.

NAGB hosts two interns over Easter break: Bradeisha Babbs gets acquainted with John Beadle’s works

After opening its grounds to over 60 eager Easter egg hunters, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) welcomed two more young Bahamians looking for a little more than sweet treats last week. C.V. Bethel seniors Bradeisha Babbs and Lefred Rolle joined the NAGB team as interns over their Easter break.

            Though she is only 16, Babbs has tried her hand at a number of art forms. She has long been interested in the creative and designing fields and has hopes of becoming an architect.

            “I got into art in seventh grade,” she said. “I started at S.C. McPherson, and I began to really like painting and coloring.”

            Rolle, too, has been developing his talents from an early age. He began practicing art in primary school and has honed his talents at the National Art Gallery in the past as a participant in the gallery’s 2013 art summer camp. While there, he learned the art of printmaking from John Cox and explored Antonius Roberts’ nearby gallery at Hillside House.

            “I just find it fascinating,” he explained. “I like experimenting with colors and the ways I can use them in my work.”

Artwork of the month

            Despite developing her artistic abilities in the classroom, Babbs had little familiarity with many of the country’s prominent artists prior to her internship. John Beadle was one of the names with which she became acquainted while at the gallery.

            Beadle is known as one of the foremost artists whose works became known among the post-independence generation. Known for his work in the Junkanoo community, Beadle is a well-respected Junkanoo designer. He is also recognized for his partnership with brothers Jackson and Stan Burnside in the former Burnside-Beadle-Burnside group and his work with Stan Burnside and Antonius Roberts in the current Burnside-Beadle-Roberts collaboration. Influences of the Burnside brothers and Junkanoo are heavily reflected in Beadle’s work, which also frequently responds to issues related to citizenship, migration and slavery.

            His painting “Mass Transportation” is no exception to any of this. The piece occupies a wall in the NAGB’s permanent exhibition, Bahamian Domestic, and reflects on the violence of the slave trade and the kidnapping of Africans for the purposes of production in the Americas. The somber work hangs in close proximity to Beadle’s “Emancipation Day Boat Cruise”, an equally large painting notable for its vibrant colors and celebratory dancing.

            The latter work appears a joyous one, commemorating emancipation with a boat cruise. However, the irony of the imagery of Afro-Caribbeans packed onto a boat with hopes for a brighter cannot be overlooked. The painting is intended to be considered alongside knowledge of the perilous journeys regularly undertaken by thousands of migrants who are in search of a better future in The Bahamas. Those who survive the journeys and reach their destination are often subjected to marginalization and discrimination upon arrival.

            Elements of Junkanoo and evidence of African heritage, particularly masks, are present in both works.

            Drawn to Beadle’s poignant juxtaposition of the slave trade and modern-day migration practices as well as the linkage between African heritage and Caribbean culture, Babbs selected “Mass Transportation” as one of the April artworks of the month.

            “To me, it symbolizes the struggles the slaves went through and how they died and were captured, as well as how they felt. He uses the color red to show the blood that was lost and the deaths that happened. It teaches you about history and our African descent,” she explained.

            Discussions about John Beadle’s works often prove educational from both visual art and sociological perspectives. Several of his pieces, including “Mass Transportation” and “Emancipation Day Boat Cruise” can currently be found at the NAGB as part of both Bahamian Domestic and the Seventh National Exhibition, Antillean: an Ecology.

Art’s healing properties

by Ian Bethell-Bennett

            Art and literature often join forces to create a multi-layered experience; the words and images flow and transport the viewer to a different space, time and experience, where she or he can participate in art and exchange feelings and ideas through art. Art often reveals what is there before us in everyday life, but is often overlooked. Art has economic, social and healing qualities or value that can be employed to benefit an individual, a group or a society. It also has intrinsic value as well as extrinsic value. We place value on a piece of art according to what that says to us. We also place value on it based on the artist and the material, or the lines and techniques used to create the final effect.  

            Cooking is an art we value; people travel for miles to experience the cuisine of a place because of its value and fame. Tuscan cuisine is famed for this, and people flock there, especially in the spring and summer, to experience the wine and food of that region. It has created its own value and is highly sought after. At the same time, it is the way of life of a people. It is their simple expression of themselves, their traditions and the part of the world they live in. Much like art, food is based on place.  It uses the flavors and other ingredients indigenous to that place to form it. This is not a conscious decision that was undertaken centuries ago, but a natural forming of traditions through life and experience. Weather, soil and altitude also create traditions that come into play in landscapes, houses and other forms of architecture, which are all based on environment and then become known to that place or synonymous with it. Tuscany is a prime example of this, again. It produces terrific art, wine and food as well as famous landscapes that call people to the country. The Bahamas does this too. The country is known for its shallow waters, fabulous diving and incredible beaches. It is also famous for its boatbuilding and salt manufacturing.  Yet, many Bahamians do not realize that. We produce a lifestyle that works with our surroundings. 

            Traditionally, Bahamian homes were built keeping the relationship between the environment and living in it comfortably in mind. They were functional and became known for their beauty. They had wide verandas that allowed for the cooling of the interior without any form of artificial air. Much like spaces that capture the local environment, we can make spaces use the environment to function better. This was one of the aims of the construction piece at NAGB. The installation shows how we can make our spaces solar, more environmentally friendly and more beautiful while being functional and safe. These are all huge concerns these days.  The fusion between architecture and art also throws out the challenge of accepting how art can change space, change lives and change the way we live within space, usually for the better and often with the result of creating peace. Much work has been done on transforming worlds through graffiti art as well as living art: art that becomes a part of life and has function; it is not just about beauty but integrates beauty into living functionality.

            Art then reflects this back to the viewers’ aspects of home. Photography captures the image, either natural or contrived, of the place and is picked up because of its likeness to that place and again the relationship the person has with that photograph. A Bahamian painting does the same thing. It is a different process but the result is similar. The art shows what is there or what can be seen and experienced from living in that place. It is stranger than fiction, as it usually captures what we refuse to see – the normal, the mundane – and casts it in a new light. This then allows us to experience it totally differently. Our experience with that art is dependent on our social upbringing—it determines how we relate to things.

             The 2015 Transforming Spaces tour also brought another note – that of mural art. Mural art is very important in urban communities, as it transforms the space as well as gives the community the opportunity to express their thoughts as well as a chance to live in a pleasant area. Art is curative! The wall painting at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation also spoke to the fusion of art and living, the capturing of cultural transformation and the universality of most human experiences. It told of the migration experience and arrival in the new cultural space and the desire to simply live a life of peace and joy. This is a universal human desire.

            It also shows how traditions cannot be held down. We can maintain traditions, but over time culture changes. Culture and space transform along with people. Without that transformation, we would become stuck in a place that has ceased to exist. It is almost like living in a bubble. Migration tends to do this to people. While the home culture has moved on, the migrants who moved to a different place/space tend to remain in the culture of the home they left behind.  Their language does not change, and the words they use become outdated. Could this happen to migrants, immigrants and exiles in our country? We know this happens to Bahamians who leave here to live in London, Paris or Toronto. They see nothing wrong with the way they are, yet they no longer fit in at home, nor do they fit in in their adopted communities. 

            Art captures this, and the Petit brothers’ project at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation shows this. Language speaks to how we live in a space as well as how we see ourselves in relation to a broader space. Our homes also speak to where we live and how we relate to that space. Often, migrants fill their homes with memorabilia from the past and their old homes. They choose to leave to save their lives, but their homes communicate to all who enter that this is a part of the home that has been left behind. They are a part of holding on to one’s identity and one’s past that attempts to keep it alive. At the same time, migrant, emigrant and exiled parents always want their children to do better than they have done; they want them to fit in in the new space, but not to lose their culture either. It can be a hard balance to maintain! 

            Transforming Spaces shows the public the dynamic relationship between movement and space and between art and cultural transformation. It captures the feeling of loss associated with migration, emigration, exile, the fear of hatred that is camouflaged to avoid being further exploited, and the identity that develops from living a life between two cultures. Achy Obejas writes about this in “We Came All the Way From Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?”, a book that tells the drama of exile and migration but the richness of living in the new space. 

            Haitian grandparents and parents often lament how their children born in this country are different than they would be if they were born in Haiti. Cuban and Dominican parents share this lament. However, they are less visible, despite their long-time residence in this country. Much like the thousands of Chinese migrants being bussed daily to and from work, we do not see them. We choose not to see them. These exhibits humanize experiences of displacement, as the mural art at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation does in conjunction with the Petit brothers’ works and the video interviews documented by Keithley Woolward. 

            Much of the work captures the positive experience, yet some of it also shows the pain associated with living in a space that is hostile to new arrivants. What is even more ironic is that resistance to children born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents or people of Haitian descent is stronger than that expressed toward Haitians. They feel more marginalized. Art allows these conversations to be had without hostility. It also shows how much culture changes through contact and over time. We have a rich culture, a rich language and rich identities that encapsulate thousands of traumas and millions of joys. Our culture has been transformed by so many fusions and the passage of time that we can only live it as it is and enjoy it without the panic that it is under threat. If anything threatens our culture, it is the boutiquing of spaces and the erasure of the soul that once inhabited there. We have lovely spaces without any substance. Our culture is far too rich for that! 

            We must embrace cultural change that comes with the passage of time and the influence of other peoples as nothing we can do will ever prevent the march of time. We can choose to ignore it, but time changing and the performance of culture will simply keep transforming. What we need to do now is celebrate who we are, as Gustavo Pérez-Firmat would argue of the Cubans in Miami who live in a time warp but embrace their Cuban-American heritage. Let us live with soul and body and not just as a pretty storefront without any real merchandise to offer. We do not want to be the beautiful cake in the window that, when bought, tastes like nothing. Live in and with art!