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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com National Art Gallery (NAGB)
There are several individuals whose dream it was to see the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas established and thriving. Members of this group have been pillars of strength, fountains of resources, saintly in their kindness towards, and support of the Gallery - before the first new stone was laid - until now. These are people the Gallery could not have embarked on its journey without. Vincent D’Aguilar was the leader of this group. He was a marvelous man: practical, gracious, funny, encouraging and extremely generous with his time and collection. In this moment, I cannot put my thoughts around the fact that he is no longer here.
A Co-Chair of the committee to establish the Gallery until 1997, Vincent was the second person to visit me when I came on board in January 2003. I was terrified as to what lay before me – but from that day to this, he was incredibly encouraging. He promised his support then and never withheld it.
From the beginning he always spoke frankly – a trait I treasure. He would speak openly about how he came to love art. How he developed his art collection and increased his knowledge along the way. As a fellow traveler, I loved his enthusiasm and passion and respected his desire to learn and study art. When visiting galleries, Vincent didn’t just walk around; he always took the audio tour. This was serious stuff for him; he wanted to reach beyond the surface of things.
The NAGB recognized Vincent’s place in Bahamian cultural history by inviting him to exhibit his private collection in 2003. The resulting exhibition- “One Man’s Vision” was the Gallery’s first Collectors’ exhibition, and one of the three inaugural shows to open the gallery in 2003. The fact that work from the D’Aguilar collection has been a part of all, but five exhibitions developed at the institution since 2003, is a testament to the breadth and depth of his collecting eye.
Vincent D’Aguilar found great pleasure in the collection he built, his relationships with artists and the growing realization of the incredible role he played in the development of Bahamian Art. Even in our sorrow, we at the Gallery embrace our memories of his incredible zest for life and art, and treasure the time spent with him.
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Erica James
Director
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
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