From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
‘Artists of the Bahamas’ to open in unique city-wide exhibition
By Jackson Burnside
Nov 19, 2010 - 1:17:02 PM
Nassau, Bahamas - Art lovers are in for a rare
treat this month as a City Wide Exhibition is scheduled to open on
Saturday,
November 20. Based on the movie ‘Artists of the Bahamas’ produced, directed and
photographed by Karen Arthur and Thomas Neuwirth which premiered at the 2008
BIFF Film Festival, the artwork of the eleven Bahamian artists featured in the
film will be showcased at six galleries in the City. The artists include the late Amos Ferguson and
Brent Malone, Kendal Hanna, Max Taylor, Dave Smith, Eddie Minnis, Stan
Burnside, Jackson Burnside, Antonius Roberts, John Beadle and John Cox.
Participating Galleries are located island wide and include Post House
featuring Taylor and Roberts, Popop Gallery with Cox and Hanna, D’Aguilar Art
Foundation showing Malone and Minnis, National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
featuring Ferguson, The Hub with Dave Smith and Doongalik Studios exhibiting
Burnside, Beadle and Burnside.
The official openings will take
place simultaneously at each Gallery from 10am-4pm that Saturday. Patrons are
invited to spend the day visiting each of the venues. The Artists of the Bahamas exhibition will be on display until Friday,
December 10. In addition the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and
Doongalik Studios will be holding screenings for students to watch the film and
participate in discussions on the artists.
Recommended by the country’s
foremost art collector, the late Vincent D’Aguilar, the filmmakers traveled to
Nassau from 2006-2008 to research, interview and film the artists and their
work. Karen Arthur commented, "This wasn't Paris
or London or New York, we were astounded by the skill, diversity and eloquence
of these extraordinary Bahamian artists, and felt honored
to preserve them and their art on film."
In order to celebrate this rich
artistic heritage a group of collectors, Saskia D’Aguilar, Dawn Davies and Pam
Burnside decided to plan an art show based on the film which would allow the
Bahamian and visiting public the opportunity to share in the viewing of this
magnificent array of artwork. These collectors commented, “The Bahamas has an
enormously rich artistic heritage and it is important that collectors preserve
these treasures for future generations. This film was a major undertaking and
we also commend the filmmakers for their foresight in preserving this important
part of the country’s fine art history.”
“The Bahamas is entering a very
exciting phase in its artistic development. We can see definite progress in the
Fine Arts with collaborations between the artists which allows a continual
interchange of ideas and events to take place. When you witness the success of
the annual Transforming Spaces Art Bus Tour, the theatre festival Shakespeare
in Paradise, and the recent CariFringe events, for example, you can see the
enormous potential for promoting the country as a destination for art, culture
and heritage which will attract more visitors to our shores.”
Because of the film, curators
from the Waterloo Centre for the Arts in Iowa contacted the filmmakers to
inquire into the possibility of mounting an exhibition and symposium based on
the film which is scheduled to take place from October – December 2011. The
Waterloo Center for the Arts holds the largest collection of Haitian art in the
United States as well as a significant collection of art from other Caribbean
countries, including a large number of works by Bahamian artist, the late Amos
Ferguson. Cammie Scully and Kent Shankle, Curators at the Waterloo Art Centre
will be travelling to Nassau this month to conduct research, interview the
artists and view their artwork for selection for the Exhibition as well as meet
with government officials to plan and facilitate the exhibition. “The Waterloo
Center for the Arts is privileged to be able to host this premiere exhibition
of Bahamian art,” stated Ms Scully, “The Artists of the Bahamas Exhibition and
Symposium will expose the U.S. to the thriving culture of the Bahamas and their
talented artists and plans are also in the making to arrange a tour of the
exhibition throughout the USA. By exposing the country’s art to a global
audience, interest in traveling to this country will most likely increase as
will the visibility and profile of the artistic and cultural heritage of The
Bahamas.”
For more information on this Exhibition please contact
the individual Galleries for their Opening times or visit www.artistsofthebahamas.com
(VIDEO) Artists of the Bahamas Screening and Interview with FIlmmakers Arthur & Newirth
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