On Blank Canvas, host Amard Rolle (the NAGB’s Executive Assistant) discusses all things Education at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas with Zearier Munroe Wilkinson, Community Outreach Officer, and Reagan Farrington, Educational Assistant.
The NAGB’s National Exhibition (NE) programming acts as a finger on the pulse of Bahamian art. As our, usually, biennial check-in on the status of creative visual culture in the country, the NE acts a gauge to see what our creative expression says about us as Bahamians: citizens, diaspora, and residents alike. After reaching our landmark 10th National Exhibition, NE10: “MERCY”, we must ask the question: how do we grow from here?
Kendra Frorup’s “Melody in the Men’s Room” (2010) sees an old, polished brass handrail becomes the amplifier of the most contrarily inconspicuous-yet-sizeable music box many of us will ever have the pleasure to encounter. The tubing of the handrail becomes a megaphone for the delicate mechanisms of a tiny coconut-rose ballerina perched lightly atop its surface. There is a deftness and sophistication with which she repurposes – or rather, reinvigorates – these found pieces of material from the mundane to the magical.
By Zearier E. Munroe. Exploring art materials with therapeutic thinking. Dorian was the most unnatural of natural disasters to batter this country. The hardest hit islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama will be recovering for years, but they won’t have to do it alone. In the days and weeks following the storm, the power of community and the outpouring of financial, emotional and spiritual support for those affected has been the very epitome of “Bahamas Strong.” And, in this moment of physical and emotional turmoil, the value of a safe space cannot be calculated. Understanding this, the education team at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) partnered with the incomparable Art Psychotherapist, Susan Moir Mackay, a former resident of Grand Bahama for twenty years. The result of this partnership was Create Space under NAGB’s We Gatchu!: Sanctuary After The Storm initiative. The aim of Create Space was to designate and design areas where participants could explore art materials in a therapeutic way. We prioritised the creation of this space within the shelters, while we reaffirmed the availability of the NAGB property as a haven for all who are in need. As it has long been the mission of the NAGB to use the sanctuary of its halls to uplift and inspire through art.
The visual arts community of The Bahamas has come together to organize an art auction in support of ongoing relief efforts for Abaco and Grand Bahama post Hurricane Dorian. The auction will be held on October 6th, 2019 at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas from 6pm – 9pm. Although there is no entry cost, we urge the public to bring donations to further assist our efforts.
Artists were asked to donate artwork understanding that 100% of the proceeds from sales will be donated to various non-profit organizations already leading the charge.
By Diana Sands. Hurricane Dorian. The name is sure to be remembered as one of the most destructive forces of nature. The devastation left in its wake can weaken the resolve of the strongest of us. We have all seen the pictures and videos on the news and social media platforms. Abaco and Grand Bahama have been affected in ways few, if not there, can truly understand. It is because of this, the staff at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) wanted to help. Our first day back to work after the storm was harrowing. Many team members were unable to contact family and friends who were in Abaco, Grand Bahama, or both. While no one knew what to do initially, there was one common consensus – we wanted to help. The team decided to mobilise and establish a donation drive. As the plan formalised, the NAGB officially partnered with Women United and Equality Bahamas, whose teams would volunteer to accept donations at the NAGB. Once sorted and packed, the donations would be collected by Tropix who would pass on to HeadKnowles for distribution.
