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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
E. Clement Bethel Award Winner Rosi Birch-Lovdal Implores Students to Keep Their Courage
By Office of Communication, College of The Bahamas
Apr 25, 2016 - 7:12:14 PM
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COB Concert Choir Performance
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Nassau, BAHAMAS - “Stay with creative tension and don’t run from it to a safe place. Stay with those moments of creative chaos, they are teaching you something. Keep your courage. Keep your heart open.” Rosi Birch-Lovdal gave these words to students and other artists at The College of The Bahamas as she made remarks at the 27th Annual Colour of Harmony event held in the Performing Arts Centre at the Oakes Field Campus.
The College of The Bahamas School of Communication and Creative Arts recently held the yearly event that serves as an evening of visual and performing arts, showcasing the talent of the students of The College across various media. Joining an exclusive group of honorees, which includes iconic notables such as Percy “Vola” Francis, Joann Behagg, and John Berkley “Peanuts” Taylor, was Rosi Birch-Lovdal, who received the E. Clement Bethel Award for her contribution to Bahamian art.
Milwaukee-born Lovdal, from the time she was a child, wanted to be an artist, much to the chagrin of her parents. Decades later while living in Andros with Dick Birch, she started her life as an artist. She explains, “That was when I came truly alive, my artistic senses awakened by the colors, the sea and the people of The Bahamas.”
This awakening was the catalyst behind Androsia, which Lovdal founded in 1970. As women on the island were asking her for employment, she thought about how she could create something beautiful for them to do, something that reflected the vibrant beauty of the country she had come to love. A batik artist came to Small Hope Bay Lodge and introduced Lovdal and her children to the art form. Thus Androsia was created. Together with the people of Andros, Lovdal created fashion shows in Nassau, costumes for the Ministry of Tourism, garments for local and international orders, hand painted dresses for Miss Bahamas, textile paintings for clients like the Ministry of Tourism and fabrics that reflected the beauty and the identity of the Bahamas.
Top: Student artists showcased their exceptional talent at the event held in the Performing Art Centre's gallery area. ----- Bottom: School of Communication and Creative Arts faculty members presented Mrs. Rosi Birch-Lovdal with the E. Clement Bethel Award for her contribution to Bahamian art; and College of The Bahamas Band performed at the 27th Annual Colour of Harmony.
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The College of The Bahamas Concert Band and Choir complemented the award presentation, along with performances by Voices of Paradise, solo performances and visual art by the students. The abundance and quality of the creative talent on display made Lovdal swell with both pride and emotion.
“For such a small country, The Bahamas is greatly filled with talent. I have always been inspired and uplifted by the diversity and vitality of the arts in The Bahamas. To be considered to be one of you touches me more deeply than I can say and is quite beyond my dreams,” she offered.
College President Dr. Rodney Smith shared that he is pleased that The College was able to award the events honouree, touting, “She has become a staple to our community in The Bahamas. He also said it is his expectation that next year, the public will be invited to the Colour of Harmony at the University of The Bahamas.
The School of Communication & Creative Arts (SCCA) provides a rich portfolio of interrelated programmes in a vibrant atmosphere of creativity, performance and production. The School brings together art, foreign languages, journalism, communication and music disciplines in programmes of study that allow students to unleash their creative talents; and to explore and develop their skills in the chosen course of study. The School offers a multidisciplinary approach that interfaces between theory and practice. This approach cultivates students with a comprehensive understanding of their fields of study and a sound appreciation for the diversity of the related professions. SCCA also enjoys strong ties with relevant industry networks, permitting SCCA students a range of opportunities for hands-on training and internships with strategic partners.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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