The writing on the wall

One of the much-talked about highlights of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) Mixed Media Art Summer Camp has been the new mural – or, rather, murals – adorning the public wall spaces at the NAGB. As living, collaborative works, the murals have been completed by groups of campers and individual artists, all of whom joined the NAGB for some time during its summer camp, led by Education and Curatorial Support Associate Abby Smith.

In spring 2015, the NAGB put out a call for proposals for paint-by-number murals to cover the wall spaces of the adjoining annex and exterior boundaries. For two years prior, a whimsical work by Allan Wallace and brightly colored geometric piece by former campers enlivened the outdoor walls. This year, artists were asked to design murals responding a set of key works, including “colorful”, “kids”, “on the hill”, “art” and “NAGB”.

AJ Watson

Arjuna “AJ” Watson was one of the first to answer the call. An established muralist and former graffiti artist, Watson is known for his large-scale public works that, quite often, contain social commentary.

“My beginnings in art were as a graffiti artist. I’m no longer a graffiti artist I just like to paint big in public spaces when I have an opportunity to,” he explained. “I think there should be more art in public spaces here, not just paintings on walls… Culture sometimes seem hard to find in Nassau and the Caribbean. Art and the arts are as constant as the tide, but often neglected as culture.”

His vision for this project, however, involved simple, unadulterated fun. Reminiscent of the iconic New York-born pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, Watson designed a comic-style work, which he believes falls in with ‘selfie culture’. The design – a close-up of a cartoon-like woman’s face – uses vivid color to stand out and offers the public a glimpse of imagery less frequently found in the region.

Watson was one of four artists who devoted their time, talents and efforts free of charge to the task of enlivening the NAGB grounds.

Allan Wallace

Allan Wallace is another. Like Watson, Wallace is self-taught and known for his murals, which have been found throughout New Providence and Downtown Nassau. A more recent contribution of his was created as part of the Haitionary exhibition at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation for the 2015 Transforming Spaces tour.

Fresh off his paintbrush, however, is a brand-new piece at the NAGB, where Wallace made an impromptu return to again liven up a wall space. The fanciful contribution incorporates negative and positive painting techniques. In true Wallace style, it leaves viewers discovering new imagery hidden among its layers, which include the colorful face of a girl, artist’s tools and a figure in the background.

Matthew Rahming

The camp has also given Matthew Rahming, a volunteer and young artist, his first opportunity to try his hand at large-scale public art. A College of The Bahamas (COB) student, Rahming decided to try his luck at registering as a volunteer, and showed up at the NAGB on a whim. He was welcomed immediately, and four weeks later, he’s leaving his mark by way of a seasonally bright and nature-inspired work.

“It’s been really cool, it’s a lot of fun working with kids you learn a lot from them about creativity, they’re uninhibited… and it’s pushing me to be the same way and not limit myself creatively,” he explained, reflecting on his time at the camp thus far.

A first-year COB student, Rahming took the initiative to compose a mural design when he discovered a blank wall space remaining.

“I saw everybody else putting up murals and there was one wall left, so I showed Abby (Smith) the design and she liked it and said I could put it up on the wall,” he recalled. “I thought it would be a cool opportunity to do it, and I liked it, so I went for it.”

Avenii Johnson

He’s not the only volunteer who raised his hand at a chance to add another spice to the pot. Avenii Johnson, another volunteer and young artist took a chance at getting some exposure by pitching his mural idea to Smith as well.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my name out there,” he explained in reference to the mural, which began as a design in an old sketchbook as part of a pair of works.

The mural is Johnson’s first chance to create a large-scale public art work at home. Having had the opportunity to spend time studying abroad in Boston at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and New England Art Institute, Johnson experimented with outdoor art while there.

Returning home, he, too, went out on a limb in joining the camp’s volunteering staff.

“I came back and I knew there was a museum here, but I’d never visited it, so I decided to check it out and check out some of the artwork. I was trying to figure out how to get involved in the art clique, and I did a bit of Googling and I saw that the camp had a volunteer program, so I decided to sign up,” he recalled.

“The mural is an interesting process,” he added, “we’ll see how it goes.”

Nowé Harris-Smith

Painting on walls is nothing new for Nowé Harris-Smith, another COB art student and camp volunteer. Between lending a hand in leading campers, the urban artist had an opportunity to do what she loves at the NAGB.

“As a graffiti artist, my dream was to always do a mural without taking illegal methods. So I tried it. It was also for a good cause, considering I like kids,” she explained.

Hopeful that the murals and her contribution in particular will expose and present street and urban art in a positive light, Harris-Smith’s work was designed specifically for the wall space at the camp and embodies familiar imagery from the Bahamian landscape, like the hibiscus plant and hummingbird.

“I am truly happy with this mural. Not only does it look cool, it represents a part of me. I'm glad I got a chance to showcase what I love to do,” she said.

The final completed mural was a collaborative work by campers, who embraced the “Jammin’” technique in creating it.

Coined by artists and brothers Jackson and Stan Burnside, both avid Junkanooers and founders of the One Family Junkanoo group, “Jammin’” refers to the simultaneous group collaboration found in Junkanoo shacks when creating a single costume component. The Burnsides, together with fellow artist John Beadle, were known for using the group work approach in the artist’s studio.

This summer, under the guidance of artist and gallery media technician Jackson Petit, campers painted their own “Jammin’” mural, with vivacious urban flavors.

To keep up to date with the gallery’s murals and other activities, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheNAGB or website, nagb.org.bs, or call 328-5800.

NAGB represents at Fiesta del Fuego

Heating up the region’s cultural arena at the Fiesta del Fuego, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas recently traveled to Santiago, Cuba to represent The Bahamas at the festival’s pop-up gallery. Santiago is the island nation’s second-largest city and former capital. The city, said to be situated in the heart of the Caribbean, celebrates its 500^th anniversary this year.

            An annual affair, the event welcomes hundreds of delegates from approximately 20 countries during the early part of July. Each year, the festival selects one country to be the ‘guest of honor’; this month, at the 35^th edition of the festival, The Bahamas brought its ‘A’ game as the nation of focus.

            Reaching out to The Bahamas’ foremost cultural institutions, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture invited the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) to take part in showcasing all the country has to offer culturally.

            NAGB Director Amanda Coulson, Assistant Curator Averia Wright and Gallery Assistant Jodi Minnis worked around the clock selecting 51 pieces of art from the Dawn Davies Collection, D’Aguilar Art Foundation and National Collection, which they felt could “create an historical overview of the development of Bahamian art and an historical overview of the country”.

            She added: “The collection featured work from the turn of the century up until today and which covered various industries and changes in the islands, like the arrival of Columbus, to the advent of Junkanoo, to Bahamian independence.”

            At the fiesta, the pop-up gallery was one of 40 culture hubs hosted by numerous regional delegates from their respective countries. The festival spaces were scattered around Santiago and featured music and dance, religious ceremonies, poetry, theater, other art exhibitions and a Junkanoo rush-out, attracting hundreds of locals and visitors from around the world.

            A much-anticipated street party, the festival’s objective is to highlight the diverse expressions of creativity while underlining shared commonalities resulting from the historical amalgamation of European, indigenous and African cultures.

This is precisely what Coulson hoped the pop-up gallery’s guests would get out of the exhibition, which featured works by legendary Bahamian artists like Eddie Minnis and Amos Ferguson along with younger artists like Jackson Petit, Kendra Frorup and Lillian Blades.

           

            Estimating that 50 percent of the fiesta’s visitors were locals with the other half comprised of international delegates, Coulson said “I hope that the local Cuban population, first of all, saw the great diversity and talent that we have in The Bahamas, but also that they saw that we share so many cultural points and that our histories are common and we can find mutual ground and understanding. This is especially at the fore as they open their doors, that we become friends and good neighbors.”

            In a nod to the festival’s name – which can be translated to the Festival of Fire – the excitement culminates with a fire parade leading from the Plaza de Martes to the sea. There, the “burning of the devil” – the dramatic burning of an oversized figure woven from sticks – takes place to exorcise evil spirits and ensure the safety and prosperity of festival attendees until the next year.

A delectable partnership

In the lead-up to Rum Bahamas Festival in February 2016, Guanima Press, Events by Alexandra and the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas are joining forces to bring tid-bits and tastes of things to come with the seven-part “Though the Kitchen Door” series.  

The ‘talk and taste’ events will feature talks by noted writer and anthropologist Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, whose studies and extensive knowledge of Bahamian culture will be complemented by samples of local cuisine prepared by acclaimed caterer, events manager and RumBahamas Founder Alexandra Maillis.

Hoping to offer guests deeper insight into the country’s history and social developments, Glinton-Meicholas lamented the fact that much of the information presented on The Bahamas is “simplistic”. Having travelled the country as a girl, spending time with her grandparents on various Family Islands, where her maternal grandfather was posted as a headmaster, she is today able to recall “a living Bahamian community that was not heavily influenced by the American presence, the growing tourism”.

“I thought food would be an excellent medium through which to talk about Bahamian history, social history, the people who came here and what they contributed to us,” she added.

Glinton-Meicholas is known for her comical and honest portrayals of Bahamian life and society with her “Talkin’ Bahamian” and “True-True Bahamian” books. Her written works offer a glimpse into the relationship between Bahamian society and food through their examination of ‘the peanut man’ – a Bahamian ‘fast food’ source; the familiar roadside food trucks serving up affordable breakfasts like tuna and grits; and ‘toting’.

Known for her tantalizing flavor fusions, Maillis argues that Bahamian cuisine is not a pure style of cooking, but a blend of 11 cuisines stemming from the African and European continents, U.K., East Asia, South Asia, Greece, the Creole world (which includes centers of French influence, like Haiti and Louisiana), the southern U.S., the Florida Keys, Latin Caribbean and Jamaica. It is her hope that, with Through the Kitchen Door and Glinton-Meicholas’ discussion of our creolized heritage and history, “people get a deeper understanding of who we are, and develop a little bit more broadmindedness”.

“I think it’s exciting,” she added. “The idea is to show that whole relationship and to make us open our minds a little bit about other cultures.”

The first event of the series will take place this month and will focus on the ways the Lucayans and British and African ancestry have contributed to modern Bahamian society and cuisine. An example Glinton-Meicholas cites is the Bahamian fondness for baked treats as a penchant stemming from the country’s former British leadership. This, she believes, can be contrasted with a local familiarity with root vegetables and groundnuts, such as cassava and peanuts, respectively, which have both been heavily used in Lucayan and West African cuisine.

“One of the things that I have an issue with is every time you try to talk about culture in this country, the first thing that comes up is Junkanoo, and Bahamian culture is more than that, and this is a way for us to show that than if we were to just write it in a book,” explained Neko Meicholas. “It makes it more palatable to feed it to you, to demonstrate it to you, to show you your history and culture and marry it to food… I think people will remember it better and get a fuller experience of it when it is presented as we are hoping it is.”

The first Through the Kitchen Door event will be held on July 30 at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. The talk and tastings begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $15 and can be purchased in advance at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

Soaking up sun and culture this July

Central Bank covers admission charges for all Bahamians and residents at the NAGB next month

In true standing with its mission to serve as much as a reservoir for cultural wealth as monetary wealth, Central Bank of The Bahamas is encouraging the general public to use the summer holidays as an opportunity to soak up both the sun and some of the best in Bahamian culture and fine art. The bank has demonstrated its commitment to developing fine artists for more than three decades.

Under the governance of T. Baswell Donaldson, in the 1980s it began investing in artwork to adorn its headquarters downtown. Wanting to further the bank’s involvement in developing the country’s art movement, then Central Bank Governor Sir William Allen enlisted the help of artist Antonius Roberts, who spearheaded the bank’s annual competitions for high school students and artists under 26, respectively. In doing so, Central Bank hoped to encourage young Bahamians to pursue art while adding to its collection simultaneously.

Contest winners are selected by a panel of judges and receive cash prizes. Traditionally, the winning pieces of the High School and Open Category Competitions would also join the Central Bank collection. To encourage even more artists, the bank established its Governor’s Choice Award (GCA). At each competition, the bank’s governor selects his or her favorite piece, which then joins the bank’s collection.

With hopes of offering a continuous display of artwork to the public, the bank went a step further and repurposed its reception area on Market Street and Trinity Place into a gallery space.

            Continuing the mission, Central Bank is now encouraging locals to engage with other creative spaces; the bank has pledged to cover the cost of admission for Bahamians and residents throughout the month of July. In celebration of Bahamian independence, locals can demonstrate their patriotism by supporting Bahamian artists whose works are currently on display at the National Art Gallery. This is particularly true for younger and developing artists, who competed in the bank’s competitions and whose works have joined the bank’s collection.

“We would encourage more Bahamians to come away with a fuller appreciation for the arts—no matter what form, and really to see the arts as a worthwhile area to support, as the benefits go far beyond what is viewed—to the transformation and enrichment of our lives,” said Central Bank Governor Wendy Craigg.

During their visits, guests will have the opportunity to see samples of these works in the NAGB’s temporary exhibition Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank: A Pillar of Arts Commitment. Celebrating 40 Years features artwork documenting the bank’s history from its establishment to current day operations. The exhibition gives guests the opportunity to see early works from some of the country’s foremost artists, like Antonius Roberts and Dionne Benjamin Smith. These are shown alongside works by up-and-coming creatives whose talents have won the hearts of bank judges and governors.

“The exhibition at the NAGB showcases the journey of Bahamian art and artists through the past 40 years,” said Craigg. “It provides a unique opportunity for Bahamians to see works that are normally inaccessible to the public and to experience the cultural diversity and artistic richness of The Bahamas, through the eyes of a large number of signature Bahamian artists—many of whose works on display date back to their teenage years. This is quite an interesting historical perspective on the development and success of the visual arts in The Bahamas.”

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Throughout the month of July, Bahamians and residents enjoy free access to the art galleries, every day of the week – except Monday, when the gallery is closed – courtesy of Central Bank of The Bahamas. To find out more about the NAGB, visit its website at www.nagb.org.bs or Facebook page, or call 328-5800.