National Exhibition 9: The Fruit and the Seed
In July 2018, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) issued a call for works for the ninth National Exhibition (NE9), themed The Fruit and the Seed. This call attracted over 100 submissions, reflecting the diverse and dynamic ways artists are exploring space, identity, and lived experiences. The National Exhibition has consistently served as a platform to honor contemporary works rooted in innovation, dialogue, and social engagement. NE9 continues this legacy, functioning as an incubator and laboratory for examining cultural, artistic, and social currents. Through themes of race, gender, parity, and class, the exhibition leverages the art-making process as a tool for activism and advocacy, fostering empathy and deeper cultural understanding.
The Fruit and the Seed acknowledges the binaries shaping existence while celebrating the fertile creative space that artists inhabit. The metaphor evokes notions of cultivation, growth, and transformation, while drawing attention to ecological fragility in the Anthropocene. In a world increasingly marked by conservatism and reactionary ideologies, art becomes a vital medium for dialogue, demystifying stigmas, challenging dogmas, and nurturing collective humanity. NE9 invites engagement with untold cultural stories, addressing fears, triumphs, and the potential for new awareness and empathy.
Featuring contributions from 38 artists, performers, writers, and academics, NE9 offers a vibrant program of exhibitions, talks, readings, screenings, performances, workshops, and panels, running through March 2019. This iteration deepens its commitment to cultural and social engagement, encouraging audiences to reflect on key questions: How are artists decolonizing spaces, advocating for the environment, and addressing statelessness? How do paths of resistance shape personal and communal identities? The NE9 presents a thought-provoking exploration of these themes, inspiring critical reflection and fostering cultural evolution in the pursuit of self-determination and collective enlightenment.
Selection Process: A six-member jury—comprised of Derek Rolle, the Deputy Governor of The Central Bank of The Bahamas; John Cox, Former NAGB Chief Curator and current Artistic Director at The Current Studios at Baha Mar; Allan P. Wallace, local artist and instigator; and international jurors, Naima J. Keith, Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Programs at the California African American Museum (CAAM); and independent LA-based curator Diana Nawi, former associate curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM); along with the NAGB’s Chief Curator, Holly Bynoe—were tasked with making a selection from the over 100 submissions. The 38 artists’ works supported over the next three months in The Fruit and the Seed, is a testament to a social uprising and deepened awakening.
Dates
Dec. 13, 2018–Mar. 31, 2019
Location
NAGB
T1 & T2 Galleries
Artists
Melissa Alcena
Gabrielle Banks
Ian Bethell-Bennett
April Bey
Jenna Chaplin
Cydne Coleby
Saskia D’Aguilar
Sonia Farmer
Shivanee Ramlochan
Kendra Frorup
Tamika Galanis
Yasmin Glinton
Jalan Harris
Charlotte Henay
Allan Jones
Rashad Leamount
A.L. Major
Anina Major
Jodi Minnis
Jo Morasco
Letitia Pratt
Eric Rose
Heino Schmid
Dave Smith
Tiffany Smith
Edrin Symonette
Alex Timchula
Natascha Vasquez
Averia Wright
Angelika Wallace-Whitfield
Danny Davis
Ivanna Gaitor
Princess Pratt
Ide Thompson
Martysta Turnquest
Christine Wilson
Xan Xi
Artwork
Text
In the News
“At the ninth national exhibition of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, artists play with the theme of fruits and seeds in staggeringly varied and complicated ways.”
“A gargantuan catalyst for change told through the lens of some of The Bahamas’s most creative minds. I’m honored to be included in the conversation. The curation was pointed and I enjoyed seeing my peers’ working through similar issues as me.”
