 |
| Wandeka Gayle's rendition of Boston beach |
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120513/arts/arts4.html
Gayle opened her exhibition and launched a short volume of poetry, at Kingston's Red Bones art gallery
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Boston catches painter's eye in new show
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120513/arts/arts4.html
Gayle opened her exhibition and launched a short volume of poetry, at Kingston's Red Bones art gallery
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
All Aboard for.....Art!!: PortlandArt Gallery
The Port Antonio line was among the more pleasant rides in the now long-defunct Jamaica Rail system (historically a pioneer in the Western world). It culminated in the former banana port after steaming through some spectacular and lush scenery to be found anywhere, certain inspiration for artists of all stripes.
Now, in the former railway station just outside the town square, an enterprising group is "expressing" the beauty of the parish and their own thoughts in a form at once more stationary and yet capable of travelling far and wide.
Artist Hopeton Cargill, the spokesman/convenor for the Portland Art Gallery collective says the group consists of a diversity of artists with more joining over time. The work reflects the general spirit of the still largely rural parish - farm and country scenes and looks at the ways that folks have traditionally entertained themselves, as the pics her show
but even if bucolic pasture scenes or young boys diving off a pier are not your thing, the Gallery welcomes a wide range of styles and themes.
There is even a bit of semi-abstract fantasy, incorporating nature, as represented in the piece below.
Now established in their "station" the artists' group is forging ahead to make itself and its handiwork known to the wider public.
Now, in the former railway station just outside the town square, an enterprising group is "expressing" the beauty of the parish and their own thoughts in a form at once more stationary and yet capable of travelling far and wide.
Artist Hopeton Cargill, the spokesman/convenor for the Portland Art Gallery collective says the group consists of a diversity of artists with more joining over time. The work reflects the general spirit of the still largely rural parish - farm and country scenes and looks at the ways that folks have traditionally entertained themselves, as the pics her show
 |
| Artist Hopeton Cargill outside the Portland Gallery |
There is even a bit of semi-abstract fantasy, incorporating nature, as represented in the piece below.
Now established in their "station" the artists' group is forging ahead to make itself and its handiwork known to the wider public.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Pimento Lodge: Commanding The Heights
travel along the sweep of Portland's spectacular Long Bay and the surf, wave after wave of liquid azure crystal, dominates. The sea hurls itself against the accepting shoreline.
Journey up the short, steep hill that runs off the main "square" however, ans a different perspective emerges. The water appears calmer, almost as if one could walk on it
From the balcony or from the expansive pool deck of the Pimento Lodge hotel, if you look down at the Caribbean, closes your eyes, then open them again, its not hard to have visions of some Mediterranean hilltop villa say, in Italy or Greece.
Billed as "a boutique, family run hotel born of a Jamaican/German partnership" the resort first took shape just about six years ago, when owner Lloyd edwards and his wife returned home after living for many years in the UK as well as in Germany
He had no prior experience in the hospitality industry, but he knew he had a gem of a property on his hands that could be transformed, with not inconsiderable amounts of capital and sweat equity, into an attractive resort.
Six years later, with the aforementioned stunning poolside panorama, Afro-inspired artwork (by artist Katapul) and eight "suite-sized" guest rooms, Pimento Lodge stands ready to welcome all looking to add that critical extra dimension to the splendid but well-worn "sun, sea, sand" vacation experience.
Visitors can choose from any number of accommodation packages, from room only, to all-inclusive. and hey, as long as you don't test the wicked undertow, sun, sea and sand is a short hop down the hill if you still desire.
Pimento Lodge can be reached at:
Tel. Jamaica + 876 882 5068
From the balcony or from the expansive pool deck of the Pimento Lodge hotel, if you look down at the Caribbean, closes your eyes, then open them again, its not hard to have visions of some Mediterranean hilltop villa say, in Italy or Greece.
Billed as "a boutique, family run hotel born of a Jamaican/German partnership" the resort first took shape just about six years ago, when owner Lloyd edwards and his wife returned home after living for many years in the UK as well as in Germany
He had no prior experience in the hospitality industry, but he knew he had a gem of a property on his hands that could be transformed, with not inconsiderable amounts of capital and sweat equity, into an attractive resort.
Visitors can choose from any number of accommodation packages, from room only, to all-inclusive. and hey, as long as you don't test the wicked undertow, sun, sea and sand is a short hop down the hill if you still desire.
Pimento Lodge can be reached at:
Tel. Jamaica + 876 882 5068
Tel. U.K + 44 (0) 7899 801118
Tel Germany + 49 176 764 764 45
Pimento Lodge Resort,
Rose Garden, Long Bay,
Portland
Rose Garden, Long Bay,
Portland
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Jamaica Arts Odyssey -a Review
Exchanging Realities
What is there to discover in Jamaican art? What pleasures can it hold for the "average" person, caught up in the bustle and whirl of trying to make a living? To pause even to glance at works of art may be seen as a strain, much less to discuss said works and their potential impact on our lives.
Yet that was exactly what drew a number of Jamaicans of all ages (but mainly younger persons, 30 and under), who gathered at various venues over the course of about a week in a venture dubbed Jamaica Arts Odyssey. The initiative was conceived by Dr. Paul Rhodes, who as a long- time aficionado of Jamaican art and indeed of virtually all things Jamaican, was desirous of presenting this creative bounty to a global audience.
"Jamaica's art is so rich in accomplishment and content and diversity and I wanted to foster a greater appreciation of this in the wider world." As the creator and proprietor of Great Huts, a collection of (semi) rustic, Afro-centric, arts-friendly resort dwellings on the lushly fringed, azure coast of Portland (Boston, to be exact), Dr. Paul, as he likes to be known, has a dual interest in promoting Jamaican art.
But as the event unfolded this year, it became clear that a ground work of bringing the world of Jamaican art "home" to Jamaicans first, to encourage us as a people to partake of and feel proud of the smorgasbord that is Jamaican creativity.
The celebration opened with a Dinner at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston that was centered on the topic "what is Art?". After opening statements from convener Dr. Paul Rhodes, a vocal discourse ensued, with a multitude of opinions on the subject.
One of the featured speakers, Kenyan-born Mazola Mwashigadi held forth with a keenly personal missive on his own journey as artist and scion of a family of preachers and "rainmakers" - spiritual custodians, if you will, who don't actually produce rain as the name would suggest, but offer prayers for a safe rainy season without flooding or other incident so that the community will remain bountiful.
The bounty of information and discourse continued with writer Michael Williams exploring the issue of intellectual property as it relate ton arts in general and the visual arts in particular. He cited a number of cases and other developments, historical and contemporary, to illustrate the dynamism attending copyright issues in this "instant-info" era.
Jamaica Arts Odyssey, of a necessity, must include some of the places where art is publicly - and commercially - displayed (we must note here that the Pegasus also includes a gallery). And in Kingston, that included Grosvenor Galleries, Bolivar Galleries, and The National Gallery on the city's similarly overlooked waterfront. Art in a somewhat more private space was afforded by master ceramist Gene Pearson, who hosted the Odyssey group at his studio.
As the pre-eminent visual arts educational institution in the English-speaking Caribbean, The School of the Visual Arts at the Edna Manley College was also one of the tour's "whistle stops." There, the School's Summer Programme for Juniors and Adults was in full swing and the team also learned of ArtbTherapy programs in trainer set to come on stream.
A cornucopia of art and other sensory treats awaited, some two- and- a-half hours' drive outside of Kingston, at Great Huts in Portland. This arts-laden, Afro-centric retreat (literally an elegant collection of huts of varying size and configurations) took the Arts voyagers out of their urban grind and immersed them in lush greenery, paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects of all types, the breezes and white capped waters of the Caribbean, and a mini-menagerie (including a few small reptilians that invited themselves into the rooms). The setting provided an ideal backdrop for continued discussions on the nature and appreciation of art.
On return to Kingston, the group was treated to an Illuminating luncheon and "mini-seminar" on Jamaican artist Isaac Mendes Belisario, whose "Sketches of Character" offered revealing portraits of the John Canoe culture in the island during the tense last days before Emancipation. Mrs Facey, who conceptualised and published (in 2008) a marvelous biography of the artist (written by Jackie Ranston), also graciously gave the team an opportunity to see the water wheel on her property - which she comissioned herself, having also designed the property - in action.
After a return to the National Gallery,the arts sojourn had a worthy coda at the Olympia Art Centre, legacy of artist and arts advocate A. D. Scott. Although the subject was the same as at the previous dinner, the composition of the audience was even more eclectic than at the Pegasus and thus the discussion was even more spirited (influenced, by the participants' own admission, by the massive busts of first National Hero Marcus Garvey and his six venerated compatriots).
Having adapted and shifted gears, much like the Jamaican art it tracked, the Jamaica Arts Odyssey marks the end of it's first iteration with much expectancy, it participants having successfully exchanged realities, if only for a moment. W the first nor the only such exercise, but it is inarguably a diverse, inclusive, inspirational and instructive arts project, one which will seven as a model for Jamaicans of all walks of life and for citizens of the world
Exchanging Realities
What is there to discover in Jamaican art? What pleasures can it hold for the "average" person, caught up in the bustle and whirl of trying to make a living? To pause even to glance at works of art may be seen as a strain, much less to discuss said works and their potential impact on our lives.
Yet that was exactly what drew a number of Jamaicans of all ages (but mainly younger persons, 30 and under), who gathered at various venues over the course of about a week in a venture dubbed Jamaica Arts Odyssey. The initiative was conceived by Dr. Paul Rhodes, who as a long- time aficionado of Jamaican art and indeed of virtually all things Jamaican, was desirous of presenting this creative bounty to a global audience.
"Jamaica's art is so rich in accomplishment and content and diversity and I wanted to foster a greater appreciation of this in the wider world." As the creator and proprietor of Great Huts, a collection of (semi) rustic, Afro-centric, arts-friendly resort dwellings on the lushly fringed, azure coast of Portland (Boston, to be exact), Dr. Paul, as he likes to be known, has a dual interest in promoting Jamaican art.
But as the event unfolded this year, it became clear that a ground work of bringing the world of Jamaican art "home" to Jamaicans first, to encourage us as a people to partake of and feel proud of the smorgasbord that is Jamaican creativity.
The celebration opened with a Dinner at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston that was centered on the topic "what is Art?". After opening statements from convener Dr. Paul Rhodes, a vocal discourse ensued, with a multitude of opinions on the subject.
One of the featured speakers, Kenyan-born Mazola Mwashigadi held forth with a keenly personal missive on his own journey as artist and scion of a family of preachers and "rainmakers" - spiritual custodians, if you will, who don't actually produce rain as the name would suggest, but offer prayers for a safe rainy season without flooding or other incident so that the community will remain bountiful.
The bounty of information and discourse continued with writer Michael Williams exploring the issue of intellectual property as it relate ton arts in general and the visual arts in particular. He cited a number of cases and other developments, historical and contemporary, to illustrate the dynamism attending copyright issues in this "instant-info" era.
Jamaica Arts Odyssey, of a necessity, must include some of the places where art is publicly - and commercially - displayed (we must note here that the Pegasus also includes a gallery). And in Kingston, that included Grosvenor Galleries, Bolivar Galleries, and The National Gallery on the city's similarly overlooked waterfront. Art in a somewhat more private space was afforded by master ceramist Gene Pearson, who hosted the Odyssey group at his studio.
As the pre-eminent visual arts educational institution in the English-speaking Caribbean, The School of the Visual Arts at the Edna Manley College was also one of the tour's "whistle stops." There, the School's Summer Programme for Juniors and Adults was in full swing and the team also learned of ArtbTherapy programs in trainer set to come on stream.
A cornucopia of art and other sensory treats awaited, some two- and- a-half hours' drive outside of Kingston, at Great Huts in Portland. This arts-laden, Afro-centric retreat (literally an elegant collection of huts of varying size and configurations) took the Arts voyagers out of their urban grind and immersed them in lush greenery, paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects of all types, the breezes and white capped waters of the Caribbean, and a mini-menagerie (including a few small reptilians that invited themselves into the rooms). The setting provided an ideal backdrop for continued discussions on the nature and appreciation of art.
On return to Kingston, the group was treated to an Illuminating luncheon and "mini-seminar" on Jamaican artist Isaac Mendes Belisario, whose "Sketches of Character" offered revealing portraits of the John Canoe culture in the island during the tense last days before Emancipation. Mrs Facey, who conceptualised and published (in 2008) a marvelous biography of the artist (written by Jackie Ranston), also graciously gave the team an opportunity to see the water wheel on her property - which she comissioned herself, having also designed the property - in action.
After a return to the National Gallery,the arts sojourn had a worthy coda at the Olympia Art Centre, legacy of artist and arts advocate A. D. Scott. Although the subject was the same as at the previous dinner, the composition of the audience was even more eclectic than at the Pegasus and thus the discussion was even more spirited (influenced, by the participants' own admission, by the massive busts of first National Hero Marcus Garvey and his six venerated compatriots).
Having adapted and shifted gears, much like the Jamaican art it tracked, the Jamaica Arts Odyssey marks the end of it's first iteration with much expectancy, it participants having successfully exchanged realities, if only for a moment. W the first nor the only such exercise, but it is inarguably a diverse, inclusive, inspirational and instructive arts project, one which will seven as a model for Jamaicans of all walks of life and for citizens of the world
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Amid the City Towers....The Roktowa
Thursday, October 28, 2010
A Welcome 'Revolution' in Art: the work of Gerard Hanson
Look out also for my comments (right off the bat, this is a must-see show if you're in Kingston!!) on the new exhibition by Anglo-Jamaican (actually Jamaican-Irish) painter Gerard Hanson at the Revolution Gallery.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Looking Beyond: the new Berlin
This is the first of a new series (don't worry, Museum crawl is still on) where we look at some of the world's great cities and their cultural offerings. With Unification just about coming of age, Germany's capital is hotter than ever - and that's saying a lot.
Berlin's young generation has chosen to transform the past into something liberating. Everywhere, particularly in the fashionable Mitte district, former fortresses to fascism now shelter art galleries, museums and bars.
Laurent Burst for The Wall Street Journal
![[SB10001424052748704361504575552480442311628]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vpBnbLiVTcT1Q9i-8BAgj6lhTrsih0mqI6cFrBkTgRHNpM8qtt00KB2geqrnSNJ66YBbgjz_vplXTik-SZfbCqoWBoW8q5yVB1q055BMDx6weWuUEaFw7QUTIrz2qZPEwbvx4FRRHVeEH-nBCESzPl=s0-d)
Uhren Bischoff in West Berin near Kurfuerstendamm. See photos of other places around Berlin.
There are more than 500 galleries in the city—including cool new "pop-up" art spaces—and plenty of chic new boutique hotels, including the Amano, the Casa Camper and the party-friendly Soho House that has decamped in the former East German Communist headquarters. In the past month alone, a half-dozen notable fashion boutiques opened in Berlin, among them Pastpresent, an arty concept store selling vintage finds and Berlin buzz brands like Sleep is Commercial and 24/7 Suits.
Berlin's creative boom rivals even the smoky jazz club and flirty-flapper cabaret heyday of the early 1920s Weimar Republic. But while the city that embraced the rule-breaking Bauhaus movement may have found a new role as the unofficial art capital of Europe, it's nothing like Paris or New York: No one teeters around its cobblestone streets in high heels, no one asks what anyone else does for a living or how much they make doing it.
Art collector or starving artist, you spend your days navigating Berlin by bicycle and your nights gliding in and out of parties without lines and insider-y night spots (like the unmarked Tausend, hidden under an overpass). The Berlin party scene is not for the faint of heart, often wrapping up at 5 a.m.
A laid-back feeling hangs over weekends in Berlin, which consist of sleeping late and poking around the flea markets. The weekday social calendar, a shuffle of gallery openings and late-night DJ sessions, makes a visitor wonder if anyone in Berlin ever works. In fact, Berliners are on double duty: Their devotion to sustaining the city's creative life is matched by a determination to live it too.
-Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Jazz Katz and Manifesto's Art
Thanks to my old friend, saxophonist Kevin Bonfield, for restoring the tradition of the sidewalk performer on Knutsford Boulevard. Kevin's been around the block a few times, and seen the best and (more often) worst of life, but he keeps a bright outlook and an endearing humility which caused me, like others threading the Friday afternoon jam in New Kingston, to stop and give him a listening ear. Fellow saxman Conrad Pinnock was also out there lending moral support.
later, just ahead of the now obligatory late afternoon downpour, we found ourselves at Bookophilia, where preparations were well underway for the "Artical Exposure" event being mounted by activist group Manifesto Jamaica (see them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ManifestoJA?ref=ts&v=app_4949752878)Despite our best intentions we missed the musical vibes, but we caught sight of some pretty interesting artwork, which we share with you here.
Good thingz are happening around the city - you have to open your eyez.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)