John Cox

History is being made as the largest collection of Bahamian visual artists’ work to be displayed in the United States opens next week in Waterloo, Iowa.

“Master Artists of The Bahamas”, an exhibition featuring over 40 pieces of artwork by eleven Bahamian artists, will coincide with a symposium, film series and educational public art installation project at The Waterloo Center for the Arts.

It’s fitting as the WCA holds one of the largest collections of Caribbean art in the U.S. as well as a significant collection of work by Amos Ferguson.

In a press conference at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas this week, Pam Burnside, the exhibition’s Bahamian Coordinator, extended thanks to the WCA, the NAGB, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the United States Ambassador Nicole A. Avant for their support in making the exhibition a reality.

But she pointed out that the biggest thanks were reserved for the two filmmakers who inspired the exhibition in the first place—after all, it was Karen and Tom Neuwirth’s film, “Artists of The Bahamas” that sparked in Waterloo Center for the Arts Director Cammie Scully a desire to hold an exhibition of the Bahamian art they documented.

“Artists of The Bahamas”, which premiered in the 2008 Bahamas International Film Festival season, takes a look at the lives, inspiration and work by late Bahamian greats Amos Ferguson, Brent Malone and Jackson Burnside, along with Antonius Roberts, Dave Smith, Eddie Minnis, John Beadle, John Cox, Kendal Hanna, Max Taylor and Stan Burnside.

Marysa Malone, Antonius Roberts, US Ambassador Nicole Avant, Maxwell Taylor, Pam Burnside

“My husband Jackson Burnside predicted that this could only be a brilliant Bahamian classic that will inspire our children for generations,” she said.

After WCA Director Cammie Scully and Curator Kent Shankle visited The Bahamas during the Carifringe art festival last October to deepen their appreciation for Bahamian artwork first seen in that documentary, Pam Burnside worked with them for a year to bring the exhibition “Master Artists of The Bahamas” to life.

Burnside expressed excitement that the exhibition will broaden international understanding and appreciation for creative culture in The Bahamas.

“It will be shown and discussed by thousands of visitors to the Waterloo Center,” she said. “We are extremely excited about the potential this exhibition holds. ”

Kendal Hanna

“We believe that The Bahamas should be regarded not merely as a destination that is well-known for its sun, sand and sea, but also as a country that boasts about its flourishing creativity in the arts, as well as its proud culture and rich heritage,” she continued. “The ‘Master Artists of The Bahamas’ exhibition will help us achieve this.”

Also in attendance was United States Ambassador Nicole A. Avant, who commended the project as an exciting historical moment which she hopes will inspire generations of Bahamians to come and looks forward to it fostering future rich artistic cultural exchanges between The Bahamas and the United States of America.

“The ‘Master Artists of The Bahamas’ exhibition at The Waterloo Center for the Arts will not only serve as a platform for the featured artists but will also present a tremendous opportunity for Americans to gain a more comprehensive understanding and greater appreciation of Bahamian art and culture,” she said.

“The U.S. Embassy is a proud sponsor of ‘Master Artists of The Bahamas’ because we hope that the exhibit will stimulate ongoing exchange between artists from The Bahamas and the United States,” she continued.

She pointed out that their sponsorship will allow the NAGB’s videographer Jackson Petit-Homme to travel to Iowa to document the historical moment, hoping that the resulting footage and documentary will be shared on local TV stations and in schools to inspire the next generation of master artists of The Bahamas.

Attending the October 14th opening and public symposium at the WCA are its featured artists and their  representatives, including Pam Burnside for her late husband Jackson Burnside and Marysa Malone for her father, the late Brent Malone.

“I think viewers will get the diversity we have in The Bahamas because the eleven artists are so different,” said Malone at the press conference. “I don’t think it will be what they expect—they’re going to expect something typically Caribbean and not for us to be as modern as we are. It will be exciting.”

The film about her father that premiered earlier this year at the NAGB, “Brent Malone: Father of Bahamian Art”, will be shown as part of the opening, as well as the premiere screening of “Match Me If You Can”, the documentary about the late Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson.

What is also particularly exciting about the comprehensive program organized at the WCA for “Master Artists of The Bahamas” is the educational component.

Antonius Roberts, also in attendance at the press conference, expressed his excitement for his week-long residency at the center that coincides with the exhibition opening and symposium, where he will work with students from the University of North Iowa on a public art piece crafted out of local material.

“A lot of us, we tell our stories locally and we tell our stories through our work, but this gives us an opportunity to take our stories to the world,” said Roberts. “At the end of the day, this is a time when a lot of us are inspired by authentic and positive stories and this exhibition and symposium provides that opportunity.”

“To me, making art outside of The Bahamas is really what I would love to do,” he continues. “It provides me an opportunity to take my story with me.”

Luckily, the story will not end in Iowa—once the exhibition has finished its run at the end of January 2012, it will travel to other art venues in the United States and share with the country the rich history and potential of the Bahamian creative industry.

Sonia Farmer The Nassau Guardian Arts & Culture Published October 10, 2011

Dede Brown, one of the artists at Popopstudios, has completed her residency in England, where she participated in an Artist’s Exchange Programme with the Ipswich & Colchester Museums and A Fine Line, for the ‘Stories of the World’ Programme set up for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Dede Brown: Artist Statement

The theme I have chosen to explore in my Material Response Project is Identity; personal and national identity through the mediums of painting and costume.  This is a topic that has intrigued me for years and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to explore it through my artwork.

As a minority citizen in the Bahamas, I have often felt a sense of exclusion and anonymity in my everyday life because I do not look or sound like a stereotypical Bahamian, I am usually confused with a foreigner. Even when traveling abroad, it often comes as some surprise to learn that I am from the Bahamas.  I do not wish to lay blame or even solve this personal ‘dilemma’ if you will, but am merely exploring a subject that fascinates me and perhaps through this work I seek to find the sense of belonging that I yearn for.

That is what I have tried to emphasize in the paintings; the anonymity of the female figure as a symbol of my own personal journey of self identity. Read Dede’s full statement on her blog.

Related articles:

Popop-Ipswich: A Cultural Exchange Dede Puts Caribbean Flare On Never Ending Mural Material Response Dede In The Bahamian Art & Culture Spotlight Dede’s Blog Dede Brown Across The Pond Bettina’s Films Bettina’s Project In Progress Bettina Furnee Returns To Popop

"Beautiful Monsters" by Jackson Petit-Homme

Artists and spectators alike crowded the Central Bank of The Bahamas Wednesday night to hear the announcement that Jackson Petit-Homme had been chosen by the judges as the winner of their 28th Annual Central Bank Art Competition in the Open Category.

Petit-Homme is no stranger to the feeling — he’s walked away with recognition in both the high school and open categories before, winning the High School Category twice, coming second in the Open Category twice, and winning the 3D portion of the Open Category as well, among honorable mentions.

But this is the first time he’s won since the High School and Open Categories were split three years ago when Heino Schmid came on as curator of the Central Bank art gallery space. The new prizes of $7,000 and an offer to hold a solo exhibition by the winner in the space are exciting prospects for the artist who we haven’t seen a solo show from before.

“The advantage of having the prize money is to use it as funds for materials for this show,” Petit-Homme points out. “Jumping off the piece I’ve done for this competition, it’s going to be a continuation. I think I’ve found the direction I want to go in.”

This year, the theme for the Open Category was “So So Beautiful”, chosen by Ian Fernander, the Head of Administration for Central Bank. Petit-Homme’s winning piece,”Beautiful Monsters”stood out from other competitors, the judges said, because of its flawless technique and approach to the theme which kept drawing their gazes back.

“As soon as the announcement for the theme was made, I thought about the piece for an entire year and only in the last month did I make it,” he says.” Lately I’ve been thinking about my Haitian connection, and also the mythologies within Haitian culture, and creating my own mythology out of these in a way. But I’m also thinking about challenging beauty in it.”

Petit-Homme’s piece depicts, in a flurry of subdued, dreamy colors, parents with human and animal features looking upon their newborn–indeed, the opposing forces of beauty and monstrosity provide tension that challenges its viewers but presents a resolution in the child’s story beyond the frame. Though fantastical, the piece resists high fantasy, and instead draws upon folklore and magical realist roots to pierce the veil of reality and touch upon the inherent “what if” in the ideal of beauty.

Petit-Homme will be following in the footsteps of recent winners Lavar Munroe(2009 winner with the theme”Redefining the Portrait”) and Omar Richardson (2010 winner with the theme “A Mighty Push Forward”) — Munroe’s show at the gallery was hugely successful, and Richardson’s upcoming show in December will also prove to be spectacular.

Curator of the space, Heino Schmid, looks forward to Petit-Homme’s compelling solo show as the artist is known for both his painting and video installation work.

“I’m really happy mainly because I’m excited to see what he does with his solo show,” says Schmid. “He’s a prolific artist and works in a variety of mediums. I hope he’s ambitious as he wants to be with both the content and medium of work.”

Indeed, the offer of a solo show remains optional for the artist to take — however, it is usually expected that the prize money can help winning artists purchase supplies for a dynamic solo show that can have great financial and professional outcomes.

To Schmid, the pieces submitted to the Open Category Competition act somewhat like proposals for a solo show and should reflect that ambition — which both he and the judges did not see strong evidence of this year around.

“I think a lot of people who enter this competition enjoy the one-off quality of their work and it’s difficult to access how they would develop an exhibition based on the pieces you see here,” says Schmid.

“I really want people to think in terms of not just winning this–I want them to look past winning this and also see their solo show as the actual culmination of this competition–a stepping stone to this grander gesture.”

With a theme of “So So Beautiful”, artists produced pieces that attempted to literally illustrate the theme– but like all competitions, the pieces which stand out always provide fresh and unusual perspectives to the theme or challenge the theme, which only a handful of pieces took the chance on.

Central Bank of the Bahamas Art Gallery

“I think the weight of the prize makes you want to be the good student, meet the criteria and check the boxes to make sure you win, which may need some rethinking,” says Schmid.”There are more than a few very literal pieces instead of using the theme as a jumping-off point.”

The result is an overall exhibition that may not entirely lack technique but does lack ambition, and after three years of lackluster response to themed exhibitions, Schmid is ready to further change the way the competition functions in the changing Nassau art scene.

Indeed, for many years the Central Bank of The Bahamas was the closest thing to a gallery space Nassau had, holding shows that would launch or define artists’ careers. Likewise, their Annual Art Competition acted as a salon-style space for both up-and-coming and established artists to present their work. No doubt, it will always be regarded as a major player in the history of art in The Bahamas.

Yet the past decade came with a surge of new gallery spaces and The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas with their biannual National Exhibition, provided more avenues for artists to not only hold shows–but to gain more control of how their pieces were presented and who they were presented with.

Though the Central Bank remains an active part of the art scene, Schmid points out that its role as a gallery space has shifted, and it’s time to shift the Annual Art Competition as well.

He already started by separating the High School and Open Categories three years ago and providing themes, hoping that the they would provide more of a compelling and unified space for up-and-coming and established artists to play and hold meaningful conversations with one another.

“One of the things I want to do with the competition is to develop a group exhibition that provides a relevant context for work and provides an opportunity for artists not to win an amount of money but to be in communication with each other,”says Schmid.

As of yet, though, Schmid has not been impressed with the turn out, leading him to think about tweaking the Annual Art Competition further to bring out the strong work he knows exists in the art community.

“I just want the show to be stronger — I want artists to pick up the challenge and baton from the last winner and build on it,” he says. “The exhibitions are never as ambitious as I want them to be. I am more than anything an art lover, and I want to be blown away by an art exhibition.”

“I like to think momentum is building a little bit and in the future when we set a precedent with an exceptionally strong exhibition that will force people to reevaluate their systems and their practices a little.”

The pieces entered into the 28th Annual Central Bank Art Competition in the Open Category are on display in the Central Bank of The Bahamas until October 28th. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Call 302 2600 for more information.

Sonia Farmer The Nassau Guardian Arts & Culture Published October 7, 2011

"Beautiful Monsters" by Jackson Petit-Homme

Last night, Bahamian Artist Jackson Petit walked away with the coveted 1st Place prize of $7,000 at the 2011 Central Bank of The Bahamas’ 28th Annual Art Competition in the Open/Senior Category with his acrylic on canvas painting “Beautiful Monsters.”

The artist explains that he wanted to take an antithetical approach to what you might expect to see from the straightforward title. By juxtaposing the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the profane, Petit’s commentary suggests that one can not exist without the other and often comes together to create the sublime.

Heino Schmid, Curator of the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ Art Gallery, noted, “As curator of The Central Bank of The Bahamas, I am truly excited that this year’s judges selected Jackson’s painting “Beautiful Monsters” as the winning entry. The strength of the painting is evident and will make a wonderful addition to the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ Permanent Collection.

“My personal interest, however, is in seeing how Jackson will utilize the gallery’s invitation for an exhibition in 2012. Jackson Petit-Homme is an artist of undeniable skill and has been an active member of the Bahamian art community through various projects and group exhibitions for a number of years. He is, I believe, in wonderful professional position to really make the most out of a solo exhibition and I am keen to assist him in any way I can on The Central Bank’s behalf, to galvanize a body of work that will prove to be an energetic and compelling addition to the dialogue of the artistic and creative community of The Bahamas.”

Source: Smith & Benjamin’s Bahamian Art & Culture : No. 55 : 10.06.11

Seated Nude, Kendal Hanna

Eleven Bahamian artists will be in the spotlight at the Iowa-based Waterloo Center for the Arts (WCA) next month in an exhibition of home-grown talent.

The “Master Artists of The Bahamas” exhibition will feature over 40 pieces of artwork including paintings, installations and sculptures. The showcase runs from October 14. The exhibition will leave Iowa in January 2012 and travel to various art venues throughout the United States.

“This is the first time that such a large contingent of Bahamian visual artists’ work has ever been on display in the United States and I am confident that it will be an amazing opportunity to showcase the world-class talent that we have in abundance within our country,” said the exhibition’s Bahamian coordinator Pam Burnside.

“Bahamian art is flourishing, and quite aside from mere ‘sun, sand and sea’ we intend to let the world know that our country’s art, heritage and culture can truly be the impetus to attract a different type of visitor who is looking for a unique creative experience,” she said.

The featured artists – Amos Ferguson, Brent Malone, Jackson Burnside, Antonius Roberts, Dave Smith, Eddie Minnis, John Beadle, John Cox, Kendal Hanna, Max Taylor and Stan Burnside – were originally paired together for the 2008 documentary film “Artists of the Bahamas” produced by Filmmakers Karen and Tom Neuwirth. The documentary opened the 2008 Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF).

John Cox is the founder of Popopstudios and Kendal Hanna is a long-standing resident of the Popop art community. View their work displayed in this exhibition. Both will be travelling to Iowa to be present at the opening reception and symposium.

Plans for the exhibition began one year ago when Cammie Scully, director of the WCA came across the documentary. Plans were immediately set in motion to mount the show in October of this year.

WCA boasts the largest public collection of Haitian art in the world as well as a collection of Caribbean art that includes over 50 works by Amos Ferguson.

“Waterloo Center for the Arts is privileged to be able to host this premiere exhibition of Bahamian art. The Master Artists of The Bahamas Exhibition and Symposium will expose the US to the thriving culture of The Bahamas and their talented artists. By exposing the country’s art to a global audience, interest in traveling to this country will most likely increase, as will the visibility and profile of the artistic and cultural heritage of The Bahamas,” said Ms Scully.

The opening of the WCA exhibit will also include a two-day public symposium featuring the artists and several film screenings, including the premiere screening of “Match Me If You Can”, a documentary on the late Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson, also produced by Karen and Tom Neuwirth. The recently released film “Brent Malone: Father of Bahamian Art” and “Artists of the Bahamas” will also be screened.

The United States Embassy in Nassau provided assistance to enable National Art Gallery’s curatorial assistant and videographer Jackson Petit to accompany the artists to Iowa to document the entire trip.

The Tribune Arts & Entertainments Section Wednesday, October 5, 2011

‘Faith’ by John Cox was featured amongst ARC Magazines picks for their Weekly inspiration #14 (September 30, 2011)

ARC Magazine

The All Ceramics Exhibition (ACE) is a bi-annual exhibition that started in 2009 bringing together Bahamian Potters and Ceramicist under one venue. The exhibition opens the evening of Thursday, October 6th, 2011 at 6:30pm at Doongalik Studios Gallery on Village Road and will feature works by Mrs. Sue Bennett-Williams, Jessica Colebrooke and Quentin Minnis.

For the 2nd ACE, a theme was strategically chosen – “My Flamboyant Teapot.” As the decision was made to have this year’s exhibition at Doongalik Studios on Village Road, Ceramicist and Potter Jessica Colebrooke, founder of the ACE, thought it only fitting to put on an exhibit of just teapots. Her decision was influenced by Mr. Jackson Burnside several years ago. In 2003, Mr. Burnside visited Jessica’s studio, then on Arawak Avenue, and proposed to her the idea of developing a line of teapots specifically for the Doongalik Marina Village Gallery. At the time, she had left her teapot making days back at RISD (The Rhode Island School of Design). However, Mr. Burnside being a man of vision and persistence came fully equipped with a book entitled “100 Teapots” produced by Larks Publishing. Well, after that meeting and several teapots later, Jessica has yet to exhaust the possibilities of this domestic icon.

Alistair Stevenson

The theme “My Flamboyant Teapot” probably represents the first time teapots are the focus of a serious art exhibition.

The first ACE also took the opportunity to honour Mr. Denis Knight for his pioneering contributions in increasing awareness and bringing to light ceramics as a fine art in The Bahamas. And because of his profound contributions to the development of this medium in our nation, the ACE has established an award in Mr. Knight’s name called “The Denis Knight Choice Award” which is awarded to an outstanding student who displays consistent excellence in their ceramic work and is pursuing a career in ceramics. The award is intended to assist the awardee with his or her studies. The first person to receive this award was Mr. Alistair Stevenson.

Alistair Stevenson was born on the 13 September, 1990 in Salt Pond, Long Island, Bahamas and attended the N. G. M. Major High School, at the settlement of Buckley’s. He is currently attending the College of The Bahamas and hopes to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Education Degree in Art (BEA). He works at his art out of Popopstudios Centre for the Visual Arts, New Providence, Bahamas, having been awarded the Popop Junior Residency Prize (2011).

Seahorses, Alistair Stevenson

Alistair has participated in several exhibitions including: Pipes and Bodies, and showings associated with the following events and locales: Transforming Spaces, Pro Gallery, College of the Bahamas; Great Bahamian Seafood and Wine Festival, Jacaranda House; Colour of Harmony, 2010, 2009 and 2008 (annual music and art festival of the College of the Bahamas) and the Central Bank of The Bahamas Art Competition.

He has also participated in several craft shows including: Miami/Bahamas Goombay Festival (2011), Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; Christmas Jollification (2009), Bahamas.

Source: Smith & Benjamin’s Bahamian Art & Culture Newsletter No. 54 : 09.28.11