Nassau, The Bahamas — The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas opened two new exhibitions on 29 May 2026: The Gaulin Woman: Uncovering Our Bahamian Selves, an exhibition examining the legacy and influence of cultural historian Patricia Glinton-Meicholas (1950–2025), and Glimmers, an intimate exhibition with works by emerging artist Jonnique Beadle.
The Gaulin Woman, curated by NAGB Associate Curator Letitia Pratt, explores Glinton-Meicholas’ role in challenging but also shaping a shared national identity. ‘Her contribution to Bahamian creative culture was astronomical, spurred by both her great love for her people and her desire for Bahamians to know and value the genius that we are,’ Pratt stated. ‘The exhibition is ultimately about how Bahamians have attempted to define ourselves through culture.’
Glinton-Meicholas is most widely known for her publications Bahamian Art 1492–1992 and An Evening in Guanima – a staple in Bahamian literature – but also spent her career documenting the texture and specificity of Bahamian art beyond the manufactured image of paradise. Her work argues that visual art and oral history are not on the margins of Bahamian culture, but foundational to the process of nation-building and self-definition. Bahamian Art 1492–1992 cemented Glinton-Meicholas’ role as a visual arts historian and remains foundational for contextualising Bahamian art history today.
The exhibition takes its title from the affectionate nickname ‘The Gaulin Woman’, given to Glinton-Meicholas by her husband, artist P. Neko Meicholas, recognising her zest for cultural knowledge and love for Bahamian folklore. The exhibition centres the relationships between Glinton-Meicholas and the generation of artists she championed, responded to, and worked alongside – foregrounding the work of John Beadle, Jolyon Smith, Clive Stuart, P. Neko Meicholas, Dionne Benjamin-Smith, Monique Rolle, Dagineau Burns, and Erica James. The exhibition presents interviews, historical ephemera, and artworks from the NAGB and private collections to consider how artists and storytellers helped shape the mythos of a post-independence Bahamas.
The Gaulin Woman is the first NAGB exhibition centred solely on a writer rather than a visual artist – a gesture reflective of Glinton-Meicholas’ collaborative approach to creative cultural work in The Bahamas.
In Glimmers, Beadle turns to her family’s archive to create mixed-media collages that give tender glimpses into childhood and grief, particularly following the passing of her father, John Beadle. NAGB Curatorial Director Jodi Minnis-Rolle said the exhibition ‘provides an entryway into the delicate balance and coexistence of grief and joy that comes with loss.’
The Gaulin Woman is on view through May 2027, with Glimmers closing on 21 June 2026.