Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett writes about unearthing voices and two central projects of the National Exhibition 8, Edrin Symonette’s ‘Residue of a Colonia Past’ and Keisha Oliver’s “Porch Conversations’.
Unearthing: Raising the Voices, Quieting the Noise
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Large Format Paper-making with Sonia Farmer
On Thursday, Jan 12th, 2017 from 11-4pm NE8 participating artist, Sonia Farmer will offer a free workshop on Large Format Paper-making at the NAGB, on the heels of the successful workshop conducted a few days ago at the Lyford Cay International School.
The Gall To Speak: NE8 Artists Venturing into Gaulin Folklore
Bahamian women are often thought of as being outspoken, strong, ‘biggity’ – dare I say – and perhaps it is a result of this legacy of women who won’t suffer fools gladly, that has lead to women being painted in a less favourable light. But can we be blamed? After the referendum, it became clear that many of us felt less-than, and the women artists participating in the 8th National Exhibition (NE8) have made their voices heard. Particularly, emerging artists Jodi Minnis and a first-time National Exhibition participant, Cynthia Rahming.
Amanda Coulson Named as Judge for the 2017 Jamaica Biennial
Preparations for the Jamaica Biennial 2017 are moving into high gear next week with the selection of the juried section of the exhibition, which will take place on Monday, January 9 and Tuesday, January 10, 2017. The juried section of the Biennial is open to artists resident in Jamaica and artists living elsewhere but who were born in Jamaica or are of Jamaican parentage. For the juried section of the Jamaica Biennial 2017, the National Gallery has received 176 qualifying entries by 110 artists.
Hearth and Heart – E. J. Read’s ‘Clay Oven’
‘Clay Oven’ (1912) is earthy, it is full of sepias and greens and stony grays, and, it is homely and sincere. This watercolour by ex-patriot Elmer Joseph Read, more commonly known as E. J. Read, is of our oldest works in the National Collection, outside of the traditional black and white film photography by Jacob Coonley, on display in the first wing of the current Permanent Exhibition ‘From Columbus to Junkanoo’ curated by Averia Wright and Jodi Minnis.
Made in The Bahamas: Authentic action, authentic support
Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett pens an argument for supporting local creative production in “Made in The Bahamas: Authentic action, authentic support”
Blank Canvas with Steven Schmid, Gio Swaby, and Tamika Galanis
Continuing our series of shows highlighting Bahamian artists living abroad that are participating in the Eighth National Exhibition (NE8), on this week’s “Blank Canvas” show Amanda gets to listen to the stories of Steven Schmid (far left) and Giovanna Swaby (second from right), who both recently graduated with a BFA in Film, Video and Integrated Media from Emily Carr University in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Tamika Galanis, who recently graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary and Experimental Arts from Duke University.
Blank Canvas with Hilary Booker and Peri Redwood
In the studio with Amanda, this week are agitators and researchers, Hilary Booker and Jon Murray, whose intellectual and research endeavours cross over with artistic practice, leaning into the area of what is now called “social sculpture.”
Activism as art, art as activism: How social practice opens dialogue for safe spaces and healing
The recently opened 8th National Exhibition (NE8) contains much of the Bahamian art we’ve come to know and love over the years. We are a nation and a region with a very strong tradition of painting and wall-based work, which has expanded into the 3D realm, which we have also grown increasingly comfortable with accepting into our arsenal of Bahamian creative practice. But we also have grown into more expanded fields of engagement and display.
Civil Engagement as Culture: Unearthing Voices
Our culture, as long as we wish it to be, is alive in those feet that pound the streets because they do not have cars, in the rubber that heads north every morning and south every night to earn money to survive. The fear of suffering is as strong as the possibility of death by silence, though silence kills like cancer that eats away at our fibre and when we are asked, who do we think we are? What dare we answer?