Title: Shakespeare in Paradise Celebrates five years of Poster Art: 2009-2013

Description: Shakespeare in Paradise launches their fifth anniversary festival season with an exhibition of 30 poster art images on t-shirts and in print, as well as photography from the festival over the last 5 years.

Date/time: Friday, September 27, 2013, 6:30-9pm

Location: Popopstudios international Center for the Visual Arts, Nassau, The Bahamas

Shakespeare in Paradise will close their fifth anniversary festival season and exhibition of 30 poster art images and photography with a Poster Art Auction at Popopstudios on Sunday, October 13, 2013, from 1pm to 4pm; Exhibition viewing 1-2. Auction begins at 2pm. All Exhibition contents to be sold.

This year, Shakespeare in Paradise launches its 5th season and celebrates The Bahamas’ 40th year of independence with a poster art exhibition at Popopstudios International Centre for the Visual Arts.

To recognize the role played by the visual artists of Young Artists’ Programme in creating the visual brand for the festival, this exhibition and catalogue have been produced.

There has been a long tradition of poster art as a medium of promoting ideas, political or peaceful. In the 19th century posters became a medium for promoting not only ideas, but also theatre and cabaret—by such artists as Jules Cheret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Twentieth century advertising grew out of this tradition. Fine artists such as Picasso and later other artists such as Andy Warhol uplifted poster art once more to an art form. Shakespeare in Paradise is happy to present this exhibition and hopes to carry on that tradition of promoting theatre through art.

The exhibition features art created by sixteen Bahamian and resident artists for the 30 shows that will have been presented by the festival closing this 2013 season. The exhibition features the t-shirts, photos and memorabilia, showcasing the poster art created by the artists of Young Artists’ Programme for the Shakespeare in Paradise theatre festival.

Artist and Popopstudios resident, Katrina Cartwright was invited to mount the exhibition. Artists Bernard Petit and Kachelle Knowles, both of whom have created posters for the festival, were asked to assist.

The festival has produced five Signature Shakespearean Productions, fourteen Bahamian Productions and presented eleven International Productions. The exhibition is divided into three spaces: Shakespearean (yellow), Bahamian (turquoise) and International (grey).

The Shakespeare in Paradise Young Artists’ Programme

Theatre is a collaborative art form, not limited to performance. In this world of commodity and advertisement, theatre productions also require a visual presence, a branding that can best be provided by visual artists.

The Young Artists’ Programme of Shakespeare in Paradise was established to give art students and young professional artists the opportunity to hone their craft and to expand their portfolios.

The programme works on a barter system. Young artists are approached to design the poster images for the different plays. They work with art director Julia P. Ames, a seasoned graphic designer and illustrator, who donates her time and expertise to their development, and are taught how to turn those images into industry-standard graphics. These graphics are used on the website and in the programme booklet by Shakespeare in Paradise, and reproduced as wearable art on a limited edition t-shirts. The shirts are sold at productions and given to sponsors or saved as collectibles to be sold at future festivals.

The artists are paid in kind: in copies of their t-shirts, posters, and the programme booklet. They are also included in all promotional activities of Shakespeare in Paradise, and their images are featured in all the advertising for the festival. They are also given season passes to the shows, are invited to VIP events, and are given the opportunity of putting their contacts on the artwork and having those contacts available at all the shows.

The programme is designed to be a win-win solution for Shakespeare in Paradise. The festival gets exciting, vibrant and relevant artwork for each production, while each artist gains industry experience, exposure and opportunities for further advancement.

The Shakespeare in Paradise poster artists are: Lindsay Braynen, Stephen Catalano, June Collie, Zyandric Jones, Rashad Ferguson, Kachelle Knowles, Jace Mckinney, Jeffrey Meris, Jon Murray, Trevaughn Neely, Bernard Petit, Khia Poitier, Reuno Pratt, Amy Salter, Charlthorn Strachan, Matthew Wildgoose and Julia P. Ames .

We would like to thank our sponsor for this exhibition: Popopstudios International Center for the Visual Arts.

Celebrate with us and enjoy this season of Shakespeare in Paradise. Let the season begin!

Nicolette Bethel, festival director
Julia P. Ames, festival poster art director
Shakespeare in Paradise
Nassau, The Bahamas