All posts tagged: Community outreach

Create Space: Art as Therapy

8 October 2019

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. 

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Painting a Park Anew

26 September 2018

By Malika Pryor-Martin. The NAGB, ALIV and UB students team up to make the Hospital Lane North Park a true place for play. On Saturday, September 15th, 2018 from 9am-3pm, our own art museum, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), thought nationally while acting locally and engaged it’s next-door neighbours with a park beautification day. The NAGB, in partnership with ALIV, has adopted Hospital Lane North Park between West Hill and Meeting Streets. Groups from across New Providence were invited to join in the celebratory day that, although it was a clean-up effort, was intended even more to bring joy to participants and a bit more charm to the historically significant community.

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Partnerships Present Opportunities for NAGB: NAGB is reaching beyond New Providence to Support Family Island Schools

23 May 2018

By Katrina Cartwright. For the second year, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas has partnered with the Department of Culture to adjudicate Arts and Crafts entries for the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival. Between February and May 2018 Katrina Cartwright, NAGB Education Officer, and Abby Smith, NAGB Community Outreach Officer traveled with the organizing committee of the National Arts Festival to schools in the north, south and central Bahamas, where the best of Bahamian talent was showcased by talented hopefuls, seeking to win in their respective categories.

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NAGB’s Mural Programme
: Eleuthera: “Freedom” of Creative Expression

15 May 2018

By Abby Smith

Rich in history and eye-catching in its beauty, the island of Eleuthera became the backdrop for a creative explosion of young aspiring artists from all around the island. Continuing to make an impact on the islands visited courtesy of our travelling exhibition, the NAGB’s Mural Programme descended upon this tranquil isle with a challenge in tow: Telling the story of Eleuthera. Rising to the challenge was, Harbour Island All Age School under the directorship of Kevin Rolle, Art Teacher, North Eleuthera High School with Alfred Williams, Art Teacher, Central Eleuthera High School with Genele Williams, Art Teacher, Rock Sound Primary  School and Tarpum Bay Primary School with Itinerant Art Teacher, Janice Hall and Preston Albury High School with Will Simmons, Art Teacher.

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The Magic School Bus Initiative: The Central Bank partners with the NAGB to encourage school tours

23 April 2018

By Malika Pryor Martin. Thanks to the support and partnership of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) is pleased to announce limited free bus service for primary and secondary school tours! At this time, the offer is available to all government schools in New Providence. “The Magic School Bus” Initiative, as it is affectionately titled, will facilitate the visitation of more than 800 students to The Bahamas’ preeminent arts institution.

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Two Arts Professionals: One Mission

16 November 2017

“It’s the National Collection, not the Nassau Collection.” That was the sentiment, expressed by NAGB Assistant Curator Natalie Willis and triumphantly echoed in the National Art Gallery’s very first travelling exhibition. At its heart an outreach project, Abby Smith, the NAGB Community Outreach Officer led the way. What began as a visit to one island, evolved into a four island tour that included workshops, curator talks and school visits. However, none of it could transpire without the art and the story.

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‘The NAGB’s Eleutheran Adventure’: Rethinking Access

20 September 2016

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is locally known as the NAGB; however, many people make the mistake—in speech and print—of calling us the “Nassau” Art Gallery. Perhaps this slip is well-deserved: with attention focused on the preservation and management of the historic building that houses the NAGB (Villa Doyle); the National Collection itself of over 350 art pieces, needing continual care and maintenance; and the busy rotation of exhibitions (up to 14 in a single year, not including talks, events, book launches, film screenings, and other programming), there is plenty to keep us busy.

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The NAGB hosts exhibition in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera

13 September 2016

On Saturday, September 10, 2016, the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas opened a one-week pop-up space in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera showcasing an exhibition entitled “Max-Amos: A Tale of Two Paradises,” composed of selected works from the National Collection by Bahamian master artists Amos Ferguson (b. 1920 Exuma – d. 2009 Nassau) and Max Taylor (b. 1939, Nassau). 

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