R. Brent Malone: Reincarnation opens this month at the NAGB

In a blitz of color, a year-long development will blossom at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) this month. On Saturday, October 24, the NAGB will celebrate the opening of R. Brent Malone: Reincarnation – a retrospective exhibition featuring more than 200 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptural pieces by legendary Bahamian artist Brent Malone.

The show is curated by Dr. Erica James, former NAGB director and current assistant professor in Yale University’s department of art history and African American studies. It will tell the story of an art evolution alongside the ebbs and flows Malone experienced over the course of his career.

Pieces in the exhibition have been sourced from collections throughout The Bahamas and overseas. The earliest work is one that was completed when Malone was just a 13-year-old boy, in 1954.

Known for being one of the first serious Bahamian artists to paint Junkanoo, Malone emerged out of the famed Chelsea Pottery era and helped to transform the landscape of artistic production in The Bahamas during his lifetime. As one of the country’s first successful art businesspersons, his memory and legacy live on through his works and mentees.

“We’re getting a lot of works from private homes that went into those homes when they were sold in the 70s and 80s that haven’t been seen in 20 or 30 years,” said NAGB Director Amanda Coulson. “Dr. James has done intensive research and we’re repatriating Bahamian art that will be on display for the Bahamian public, so I’m excited about that too. I think Brent Malone holds a really crucial place in the history of Bahamian art. We’ll be able to see what he did and how he was so instrumental in the blossoming of our art scene.”

The extensive exhibition will occupy all of the gallery’s spaces, including the permanent exhibition level. For James, who researched far and wide to contact private collectors, the show tells a story of a multidimensional Bahamian history. Upholding her understanding of Bahamian culture as one that is complex, James believes Malone conveyed this through his works as well.

“This show has been partly a labor of love and partly because I believe in Bahamian art history and a need to tell these stories. I think it’s time for Bahamians to really understand the depth and complexity of their own history,” she said.

R. Brent Malone: Reincarnation opens at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. The show will be on display until April 2016. The public is invited to the opening ceremony and reminded that the NAGB is free for locals every Sunday. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

THE OFFICAL OPENING CEREMONY OF THE E. CLEMENT BETHEL NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015 PRESS RELEASE

The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture, Division of Culture, will launch its 56^th annual E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival with an official opening ceremony on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 11:00 a.m at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas on West Hill Street.

The festivities will commence with an arts and crafts exhibition, which will display over 50 pieces of artwork produced by primary, junior high and senior high schools; as well as adults from numerous Family Islands throughout The Bahamas.

The show will include ceramics, paintings, sculptures and sketches along with other art forms. Cultural Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Ellery Deveaux is the coordinator for this event. The event’s adjudicator is John Beadle, a seasoned artist, who will assist with judging the exhibition.

The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture looks forward to another exciting show to promote the phenomenal talent of our young people in the area of the visual arts.

Where the Wild Things Are

Inspired by "Where The Wild Things Are", a popular and beautifully illustrated children's story by Maurice Sendak, the D’Aguilar Art Foundation’s (DAF) most recent exhibition of the same name explores the wild and scary creatures of our imaginations, and the dark and foreboding places where they might be found.

While only a simple children's story, the appeal of "Where the Wild Things Are" is universal, finding favor with young and old since it was published in 1963. Its protagonist, the heroic young Max, confronts his fears of the night with great fantasy, overcoming terrifying encounters with monstrous beasts on stormy seas and in brooding landscapes.

The wild things featured in literature, art and film are often inspired by animals found in the wild; animals that could pose a real threat to humans – such as lions, crocodiles and sharks.  Of course, artistic interpretations of these creatures often exaggerate their most terrifying features, with audiences embracing the thrill of the fear they inspire. Other monsters, such as dragons and skeletons, are the product of age-old myths that have become part of our collective memories of darkness. In recent times, a refreshing new look at what is frightening has surfaced, with children's films such as Monsters Inc. dissecting the story of the monster under the bed and turning the figments of children's nightmares into endearing characters. 

Wild and hostile landscapes form an essential backdrop to many fearful visions, whether an allegorical representation of burning in hell, lost in stormy seas, stranded in a violent storm, or running from threats in a crumbling urban environment. Paintings that depict these powerful scenes can be challenging to live with, which is why many of the works in the DAF collection featured in this exhibit are not often on view. Yet these disturbing paintings are important in reminding us of the chaos and disintegration that could occur in our midst if we do not continue to strive for peace, order and progress.

The show, therefore, illustrates both the wild things – the monsters and demons and wild animals that symbolize our fears of the unknown, and where they dwell – the dark nooks and crannies of the world where unknowable threats can hide.

Where the Wild Things Are opened on Thursday, September 24 and will be on display at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation until November 5, 2015. The DAF is open to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. or by appointment. To find out more about the foundation or its exhibitions, call 322-2323

A proud son: DC Pratt looks forward to launching the Chan Pratt Foundation next month

Seven years after losing his father, DC Pratt has plans in store to remind the local community what it’s gained from Chan Pratt’s artistry.

Determined to preserve his father’s legacy, Pratt has developed the Chan Pratt Foundation in hopes that his late father’s contribution to the Bahamian art movement will serve as inspiration for future and up-and-coming generations.

Part of his motivation for doing so comes from Pratt’s own experiences. He was pursuing a college education abroad when his father passed away and he encountered financial difficulties.

“With him being the bread winner and then passing away, after a while, it wasn’t financially possible for me to continue studying. I went back to school, and for my first year and a half my mother was financing it, but that couldn’t continue to happen, so I had to come back home,” recalled Pratt.

Now a professional Muay Thai fighter, he has found his niche and – like his father – has made a name for himself locally and internationally.

Understanding first-hand the importance of financial support for university students, Pratt hopes the Chan Pratt Foundation will alleviate some of the burdens students face during their studies. In addition to scholarships, local mentorship and education programs will be core components of the foundation. He hopes, too, to be able to afford developing Bahamian artists the opportunity to visit international creative arenas, museums and galleries. Within its first few years, the philanthropist anticipates stretching the foundation’s benefits to the U.S. to facilitate its anticipated exchange program.

“I want to foster an environment for these young artists to be able to flourish and to be able to inspire one another and to be able to see where they can go, even if they don’t have a college education or the means for a college education,” he explained.

He established the Chan Pratt Foundation in 2013 and has since been working on gaining support and developing his plans for the organization. Now looking forward to the foundation’s official launch, Pratt is welcoming the public’s participation at the foundation’s first fundraiser.

The event will be hosted at Sapodilla Estates, from 7 – 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. The evening’s main highlight will be a mixed-media exhibition featuring the works of multi-disciplinary artists responding to Chan Pratt’s inspiring legacy; on display and up for sale will be pieces by both emerging artists and legendary names. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Chan Pratt Foundation to help kickstart its mission.

Noted muralist Allan Wallace and “Celebrity Artist” Jamaal Rolle will also entertain by producing a live piece to be auctioned at the end of the night.

“I want this to provide a platform for up-and-coming artists where they can shine alongside the people who have already made names for themselves,” explained Pratt.

Tickets to support the event are now on sale for $100 apiece, and can be purchased from the NAGB’s Mixed Media Gift Shop until October 4. Tickets are also available at Damianos Sotheby’s on Shirley Street and at Lyford Cay through October 16. For more information on supporting the Chan Pratt Foundation, contact the foundation at info@chanprattfoundation.org or call (242)544-4779.

The picture of good health

Having established their legitimacy and benefits in the East over centuries of practice, holistic therapies have taken off in this hemisphere in more recent decades. Such remedies include everything from talk therapy to gardening; and now, at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, art lessons are taking flight.

The classes began as part of the center’s occupational therapy initiative. Designed to equip Sandilands patients with employment and entrepreneurial skills, occupational therapies are one of the foremost methods of helping patients develop independence. They are particularly useful for stroke survivors, whose motor skills have been disrupted, preventing them from returning to their former occupations.

“Occupational therapy is one of the most essential components of rehabilitation, particularly mental health rehabilitation. One of the therapists’ goals is to ensure that persons are provided with skills, and in particular new skills, because sometimes mental illness can cause persons to become incapacitated in other areas. Art is one of the areas that we find is easy for most persons to develop some skills in,” explained Sandilands Public Relations Manager Betsy Duvalier.

Led by artist Malcolm Rae, known as “The Artist Malcolm”, the art lessons began after Duvalier put out a call for volunteers. She reached out to Rae’s Rotary club, where he offered himself as an art instructor.  

“Being an artist, that is the only help I can give,” he said.

He developed an interest in discovering genuine talent among those who might have been otherwise unfamiliar with their abilities.

“Since childhood, most people have been creating art and most of them don’t know but that doesn’t matter. They’re creating it. That is why I’m doing it,” he explained.

Rae is a primarily self-taught multimedia artist, and is best known for his watercolor and pastel works of local landscape, people and the conch shell.

He began teaching weekly lessons in June. Through the classes, Rae has reached a number of Sandilands patients, largely because many of his students spend relatively short periods of time at the center. According to Duvalier, most of Sandilands’ clients are expected to return to independent or semi-independent living following treatment.

At each class, Rae can instruct as many as 15 patients, many of whom are unaccustomed to art lessons and art therapy. He starts with the basics.

“In the beginning, I tried to get them to work inside a border. I get them to put their names on their works. I’m trying to get them to be professional,” he explained. “I tell them there’s only a circle, a square and a triangle. Everything else can be drawn from those shapes.”

And while the lessons often have a slow start, students pick up the momentum, completing up to two paintings in one hour-long class.

According to Senior Occupational Therapist Sunitha Pati, the classes are having a positive effect on patients who are able to participate on a consistent basis.

“The clients have been more relaxed and have showed no anxiety. They try to freely express emotions and fears, and I see that they are able to socialize better,” she noted, adding, “I feel the lessons should be held at least three times a week.”

Pati believes the lessons have been well received among clients, who appreciate the reprieve the classes offer as well as the chance to develop talent, even in those who are art novices.

Rae’s efforts are also appreciated among Sandilands staff, who have been in search of avenues to give their clients exposure to skills development opportunities. The center is now broadening its call to other artists, artisans and skilled crafts people who are interested in contributing to Sandilands Occupational Therapy Department.

“We’re looking for artists, persons who do crotchet, persons who do music, because we have a choir, and we’d like a consistent musician. The aim is one day to eventually organize a band because we’ve found that music also plays a crucial role in helping persons’ mental development,” said Duvalier.

With these intentions, the center must now focus its energy on acquiring the necessary supplies for its growing occupational therapy plans. It is now accepting donations of arts and handicraft supplies.

Those interested in volunteering as a creative instructor or donating to support Sandilands’ growing Occupational Therapy Department are asked to contact Betsy Duvalier at 364-9618 or 357-8720.