Diana Lynn Sands
August 1st, 2019
The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) –a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets historic and contemporary Bahamian visual art— announces the departure of the Chief Curator, Holly Bynoe. The NAGB has worked closely with Ms Bynoe on several projects before her formal hiring in 2015. This cooperative partnership will surely continue, for the benefit of the institution and Bahamian artists.
Bynoe states, “The last years have been some of the most challenging and rewarding of my life. The position at the NAGB has allowed me to do important work in shaping its teenage years. I do not doubt that this work will continue as the institution builds upon its mission and vision well into the future.I would like to thank the Board of the NAGB and the wider artistic community for the tremendous opportunity provided. It allowed us to build a space of generosity and ideas, to foster true cultural and artistic integration. I am fortunate to have had the time, encouragement and support to successfully occupy this position. In truth, the region is lucky to have the NAGB as a forward-thinking institution. I look forward to working with this accrued knowledge to inform my future creative endeavours, as I settle into life in the Southern Caribbean at the end of the year.”
During Ms Bynoe’s time at the NAGB, she included Bahamian artists in residencies, conferences, and exhibitions throughout the region and internationally. She has presented a broad range of over 50 exhibitions at home during her four-year tenure. These exhibitions have all highlighted Bahamian output and always delivered on the institution’s mandate to educate, uplift and inspire. Ms Bynoe also oversaw the growth and development of the Curatorial Department and trained young Bahamians in the field. The team was encouraged to research and curate exhibitions of their own. As a result, they are now ready to follow in her footsteps. In 2020, the NAGB has agreed to host Tilting Axis, a one of a kind, roving international visual art conference co-founded by Ms Bynoe.
NAGB Executive Director Amanda Coulson states, “While we are all saddened to lose such an integral member of the team, we see this as another opportunity for The Bahamas. We now have a champion, whose heart will always be tied to our islands, out in the greater world. Ms Bynoe is sure to continue to represent and find even more opportunities for us and our artists. The younger team members, who were fortunate enough to work and learn closely from her, now have the expertise to continue to grow our institution. Such a profound relationship that has grown between us over the years will mature and expand as we remain in close contact. We plan to collaborate and continue to find new ways to grow the reach of the Bahamian art world.”
