Once destroyed by fire and abandoned itself, the structure has been given new life by Bahamian artist Antonius Roberts as the Antonius Roberts Studio and Gallery Space. [. . .] This space not only adds to the proliferation of art spaces in the area in the last few years but also holds a conversation with the recent downtown Nassau revitalization efforts by the Downtown Nassau Partnership (DNP) which recognizes the importance of preserving culture and heritage in urban development.

With that in mind, one of Roberts’ patrons approached the artist with the proposition to purchase and give new life to the Hillside House as an art space. The proposition was of high importance to Roberts whose previous Post House Studio and Gallery space on Prospect Ridge was somewhat inconvenient. Two years later, the pair, as business partners, has been able to fulfill his dream of operating a space where art, as completed pieces and as works in progress, can be appreciated.

For full article by Sonia Farmer, see http://www.thenassauguardian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22844&Itemid=59

Photo from http://www.antoniusroberts.com/archive.htm

See the artist’s page at http://www.antoniusroberts.com/

ARC

Peter Sheppard is a Trinidadian artist who was born into a creative family; both his parents painted and were involved in the carnival arts. His father, Stephen Sheppard, painted landscapes of Trinidad’s countryside. His mother, Margaret Sheppard also painted and made costumes for the theatre, carnival, weddings, and personal wardrobes. Sheppard, who studied at the International Fine Arts College in Miami, Florida, has held a number of solo art exhibitions in Trinidad and Tobago spanning the past 17 years. He is currently vice president of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago and a travel consultant.

For more information, see http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2012/02/blue-an-exhibition-of-miniature-landscape-paintings-by-peter-sheppard-at-y-gallery/

Artist’s biography from http://www.architecturecaribbean.com/blog/2010/05/22/interview-with-trinidadian-artist-peter-sheppard

The University of Technology (UTech) on Monday (February 6), unveiled a sculpture of late Reggae icon, Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, at its Papine campus in St. Andrew.

The piece, which has been erected in the institution’s Caribbean Sculpture Park, was designed by Russian sculptor, Gregory Pototsky, and presented as a gift to the institution and, by extension, the government and people Jamaica.

The unveiling of the Bob Marley sculpture coincided with the 67^th anniversary of the late Reggae exponent’s birth, and was one of two pieces formally presented to UTech. The second was a sculpture, dubbed: “People’s Organism”, designed by Jamaican artist and Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) alumnus, Warren Buckle.

Youth and Culture Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, in welcoming the gesture by Mr. Pototsky, noted Bob Marley’s focus and commitment to uplifting the ordinary person, through Jamaica’s foremost cultural and musical art form, reggae. She said the late musician had touched and inspired the lives of millions globally, including Mr. Pototsky, adding that “his legacy lives”.

Youth ad Culture Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna (left), is greeted by Russian sculptor, Gregory Pototsky, during Monday’s (Feb. 6) unveiling of the Bob Marley Sculpture, at the University of Technology’s (UTech) Caribbean Sculpture Park, St. Andrew, which was created by Mr. Pototsky. The unveiling coincided with the 67th anniversary of the late Reggae icon’s birth.

Ms. Hanna said the sculpture would be as a lasting monument between the people and governments of Jamaica and Russia, noting that it “will stand as a lasting reminder of our friendship and cooperation”.

The Minister also commended UTech’s input in the undertaking through, among other things, facilitating its erection in the Caribbean Sculpture Park. She urged the institution to build on the Marley legacy by ensuring that students have an outlet for “putting their talent to work”.

“As we confront the challenges in our fiscal space, we must reflect on the need to put in place, systems to bring greater prosperity to our people, especially our young people, and unearth the fire in them that drives them to reach higher and to do more. We must learn from the achievements of Bob Marley to, first, believe in our culture, and then invest in its capacity to transform our lives and create wealth among our people,” she asserted.

The Culture Minister also stressed the need for the nation’s abundant budding young talents to be provided with the infrastructure that will facilitate their creativity while yielding them economic success.

“You, at the UTech, with your emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, can help to lead the way in creating systems and programmes to foster sustainable prosperity among our young people, using art and culture. At UTech, you should be allowed to dream, as young people, and know that your dream can bring you cultural and economic success. Let us make our lives count, Bob Marley did just that,” Ms. Hanna said

UTech’s President, Professor Errol Morrison, in welcoming the sculpture, noted that Jamaica was one of only 70 “privileged” recipient countries of sculptured artwork from Gregory Pototsky. He also expressed the hope that “the significance of this contribution…is not lost upon us.

In his remarks, Mr. Pototsky, through his interpreter, and wife, Olga, said the sculpture of Bob Marley, whom he described as “the great hero of Jamaica”, has demonstrated “our love from Russia to Jamaica”.

For the original report go to http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/29755

ARC Magazine reminds us that Urbanflo Creative Consultancy in collaboration with Brighton Photo Fringe, Crawley Borough Council, and the Barbados Commission for Pan African Affairs recently announced “Roots & Wings,” an international photography exhibition to launch the Olympic-inspired <relay> Programme – connecting artists and communities across cultural, social and geographical divides. The exhibition celebrates the forthcoming presence of the Caribbean Olympic training camps in the United Kingdom.

Entry to the exhibition is open to all, but organizers are particularly seeking submissions from Caribbean-based artists with connections to the UK and UK-based photographers with connections to the Caribbean. Other artists are welcome to submit works that explore the theme of “Roots & Wings.”

Deadline for applications is February 20, 2012, and entries will be selected by a panel made up of representatives from Urbanflo and Brighton Photo Fringe. Selections will be contacted by February 26. The selected works will be digitally printed and mounted by Urbanflo. There will be a special Launch Event and Private View held on March 23, 2012.

[Many thanks to Holly Bynoe for bringing this item to our atention.]

For full description and guidelines for submissions, see http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2012/02/call-for-submissions-roots-wings-exhibition-bridgetown-barbados/

The dialogue is to take place at the Museum on Wednesday, February 8, at 6:30pm. A book launching of Adal’s new book, Falling Eyelids, will follow the presentation. The museum is located at 2325 Las Américas Avenue in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

For more information, see http://www.artslant.com/ew/events/show/199621-double-visionfalling-eyelids-a-lecture-and-book-launching-with-adl-and-luis-gutierrez

See photo: Adál (Conceptual Jíbaro Art, 1990) and more information on the artist at http://www.enfoco.org/index.php/photographers/photographer/adal/

What brought you to do this show?  I grew up in Brussels, and I’ve been living in the Bahamas since 1971, which is quite a long time. This was etched in my memory for a long time after the earthquake happened. I decided that I needed to make art – that was my way of dealing with it. And the first piece I actually did is not here – it was acquired by the Haitian Embassy in Washington. After that, I decided I should do a whole body of work. The first piece was “Poto Mitan,” which are the words for “Pole” and “Middle,” which is usually the centre of a voodoo temple and has the same connotation as the tree of life, which is the place where heaven meets earth in the voodoo religion. I decided to go there because voodoo is something I was always afraid of – as a child, when I grew up, it was taboo in my family. I was raised as a Roman Catholic. So I met a Haitian artist who lives in Florida, [Edouard] Duval-Carrie. He presented the Haitian mythology in a very nice way – he had a talk [in Nassau] and said that since all the Haitians are leaving Haiti, the gods should leave as well, so he put them on a boat and sent them to Miami. So you saw the goddess of love in Miami Beach [in his work], so it gave me a different feel. [. . .]

How much does Haiti influence your work?  I am told that you can see Haiti in my work. But sometimes it looks very Bahamian. In this particular body of work, Haiti is very strong, because of what I’ve used – I’ve been inspired by the voodoo religion, using all of the masks. The calabash, which is a very spiritual fruit in many religions, in Haiti is used by a lot of people to carry water to drink. And the calabash is actually a gourd – which is why the Haitian currency was named for a gourd by King Henri-Christophe – and that’s why I’ve used it in this show because it’s very strong in Haiti.

How much does the Bahamas impact your art?  What I learned is that when I do work about Haiti, the colours seem to be darker. And when I do work about the Bahamas, I use a lot of pastel colours, so this probably shows what Haiti meant for me – having left under the Duvalier regime my father was exiled and all of that, all the misery in Haiti – so the Bahamas is more like a paradise. So the colours actually show you the difference – when I’m painting the Bahamas and when I’m painting Haiti.

[. . .] There is a strong relationship. There is a big problem in the Bahamas because there are so many illegal immigrants that come to the Bahamas, and that poses a big problem for the Bahamas. But I think that the Bahamas and Haiti have been working together for a long time. When things are good in Haiti, there is a lot of business between the two countries, and there are a lot of people of Haitian origin in the Bahamas – including me! So it’s good.

For full article, see http://www.caribjournal.com/2012/02/01/in-the-bahamas-chantal-bethel-prays-for-haiti-through-art/

See a full review at http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/national_local/336798463458831.php

Also see the artist’s page at http://www.chantalbethel.com/

“Meeting of Minds” is an expo event that integrates art, fashion, photography, and musical talent for a cause. The event, which will benefit the Grand Bahama Humane Society, will be held in The Canal House, in Pelican Bay, Grand Bahama, on Saturday, February 11, 2012, from at 7:00pm to 10:30pm.

Main features of the evening will be principal fashion designer of The Saint George Fashion House, Mr. Kazz Forbes of Turks & Caicos; Ms. Basheva Eve of Le Maison De Besh; John Heath Jewelers; Lyndah Wells of Lyndah Wells Photography; Mark Winder of Mango Tree Media, and many more.

The night’s proceeds will be donated to The Grand Bahama Humane Society as it is always much needed and holds a special place for the two creators of the event, and as a resource that benefits the entire community but depends on help from the community to keep running.

Tip Burrows of the Humane Society said, “We are pleased to once again be working with Ashley Baker and Sean Johnson. We’re very grateful for the concern for our animals given by these young people, and appreciate all the support from the public as it is necessary in order for the HSGB to operate. We look forward to this event as it should be a great one.”

For original post, see http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/arts-and-culture/Meeting_of_Minds_Fashion_Art_Music_Expo_comes_to_Grand_Bahama20098.shtml

Over 2,500 titles will be displayed in this educational and cultural event, which will feature the participation of authors, such as the Spanish Alfonso S. Palomares, Colombian Héctor Abad Faciolince, and the Puerto Rican writers Magali García Ramis, Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá, Luis López Nieves, Héctor Feliciano, and Esmeralda Santiago.

Alfredo Torres Otero, president of the Puerto Rican Association of Book Industry (April) said that “It is the first time in many years that a show has the backing of a municipality [. . .]” Torres Otero stressed the importance of this event in light of the period of transition experienced by the book industry in Puerto Rico with the closure of the Borders superstore. He hopes that this event will stimulate the opening of more bookstores.

The Municipality of San Juan also announced that on February 11 and 12, there will be free parking at the Department of Finance. From there, transportation to the various venues will be provided.

For original article (in Spanish), see http://www.primerahora.com/festindelibrosyarteensanjuan-606724.html

For full program (logo and photo), see http://www.sanjuan.pr/forms/FeriadelLibrodeSanJuan/ and http://receph.apextech.netdna-cdn.com/docs/2012/01/26/programa_fla_2012.pdf

This week, Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros said she’s planning to send around 85 pieces from her vast art collection to be exhibited in Havana’s National Museum of Fine Arts in May. The exhibit, “Multiple Views: Selections from the Ella Cisneros-Fontanals Collection,” will open May 12 to coincide with the 11th Havana Biennial, a citywide survey of new art trends.

Her collection, which she began in the 1970s, is well known for its holdings in contemporary photography, geometric abstraction and video art, so the resulting show reflects this diversity. (She displays works in her private museum in Miami, and the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation is planning a museum for her art in Madrid.)

One of the largest pieces headed to Havana will be Ai Weiwei’s towering circle of 75 interlinked bicycles from 2003, “Forever Bicycles.” Other highlights will include Olafur Eliasson’s oversized glass-and-mirrored sculpture, “Blue Double Kaleidoscope,” from 2005, and Barbara Kruger’s 1984 photograph of a hand caught in a net, “Untitled (We Are Objects of Your Suave Entrapments).”

Curator Osbel Suárez also included several works by Latin-American artists like Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, whose video, “Surface Tension,” zooms in on the image of an eyeball that’s been computer programmed to follow viewers around the room. Also on view will be Cuban-American performance artist Ana Mendieta’s haunting 1975 film, “Rock Heart with Blood,” which shows the artist lying in a self-dug grave. New York-based performance artist Marina Abramovic has signed up to participate in a lecture at the museum, Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros added.

Collaborations between Cuban museums and collectors from the Miami diaspora are rare, but Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros said she wanted to “build bridges” with Cuba’s art lovers and give them a chance to see “art they rarely have access to.”

For the original report go to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577197343094704660.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Image: Olafur Eliasson/Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, NY . Olafur Eliasson’s “Blue Double Kaleidoscope” (a detail).

Whether their ancestors experienced the tragic transatlantic slave trade or not, Americans of African descent are as varied as folks from Cleveland or Jamaica, Haiti or Brazil or Trinidad. February’s 28-day Black History Month is not enough time to recall the significant contributions of the African Diaspora to the development of Americas, particularly as it relates to the cultural arena, Alexis Caputo reports for The South Florida Times.

The strong pool of people enhancing the arts’ viability, cultural experience, educational resources and community development for the diaspora in South Florida and internationally include Jamaican nationals Rosie Gordon-Wallace, director and curator of the Diaspora Vibe Arts Cultural Incubator, and Neil Hall, architect, designer, cultural activist and founder of the Urban Collective.

Gordon-Wallace, one of the most respected gallery curators and directors in the southeast United States, wants to make sure there is legacy. For her, connecting people of the diaspora is deeply personal. 

EYES ON CARIBBEAN

“The gallery and incubator space has transitioned to a virtual space, yet remains intimate and gives artists the same power of collaboration around the globe,” she says of her facility at 686 N.E. 56th St. in Miami. “It allows artists to create and express things that are important intelligently.”

There is a sense of urgency to reach artists of the diaspora and to prepare them for shifts in arts and cultural movements. “Every step and pilgrimage we take as immigrants and artists should be documented, because we continue forward from our ancestors,” she said. “That is a great responsibility.” 

Her intention is to support underserved artists. “The Incubator is a catalyst to their thoughts, ideas, and offers support by providing a dais they can present from.”

She wants artists of the Diaspora to know her eyes are on the Caribbean and that someone has their back inside and outside the U.S., providing a platform as she has in France, London, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Martinique, St. Martin, Aruba, Grenada, St. Kitts and Puerto Rico, working with such artists as Jacquenntte Arnette, Wura Ogunji, Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud, Juana Valdes, Antonius Roberts, John Cox, Toby Lunn, Jason Bennett, Marc Jean Louis and Andree Ferdinand. 

“The Diaspora Vibe Arts Cultural Incubator provides an important base for what could otherwise become scattered movement.  What I hope to garner is an indelible imprint for generations to come.

Says Hall, founder of the Urban Collective llocated at 3246 N. Miami Ave, in Miami. “My first and foremost concern is with all things African and I have purposely set out to transform community and the art and cultural landscape of South Florida with a heavy concentration on developing and branding by artists of the diaspora.”

ALL THINGS AFRICAN

He adds, “I have a complete love affair with all things that are African in nature. When you have a love affair with something or someone, you tend to pay more attention to it.” 

This is reflected in his profession of architecture and design and as a cultural activist, deeply involved with community development through the art. His eye is on redeveloping Overtown, Liberty City, Wynwood and the Design District with a very distinct African feel, a place to call home away from the diaspora’s ancestrial home, Africa. 

“I am simply fascinated with the depth and breadth of our history,” Hall says.

‘OUR ENVIRONMENT’

“Communities transform the psyche and as an architect and designer, I strive to show how the African-American community can take control over their environment. If as an architect and designer I can dream, so can regular folk about the communities they want to live in and be a part of, and I have decidedly committed to doing so.”

His stance is to prove as an artist of the diaspora that “I can design architecture for African-American culture.” Enter the Urban Collective, which ties directly into the movement. 

Africans are intrinsically creative people, they say, who rather than be ashamed of what we are as a people, should celebrate regardless of how enslaved we once were as a people.

For the original report go to http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9145&Itemid=331