From left: Marysa Malone, who represented her late father, Brent Malone; Featured exhibit artist, Antonius Roberts; U.S. Ambassador Nicole A. Avant; Featured exhibit artist, Max Taylor and Pam Burnside, who represented her late husband, Jackson Burnside whose artwork will also be featured in Iowa.
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On
Thursday, October 6, U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant announced the launch
of the “Master Artists of The Bahamas” Exhibit, which will run from
October 14, 2011 through January 2012 at the Waterloo Centre for the
Arts (WCA) in Iowa. The exhibit will feature over 40 pieces of artwork
by a diverse group of Bahamian artists, including the late Amos
Ferguson, Brent Malone and Jackson Burnside as well as contemporary
artists Antonius Roberts, Dave Smith, Eddie Minnis, John Beadle, John
Cox, Kendal Hanna, Max Taylor and Stan Burnside.
The
Waterloo Centre for the Arts attracted more than 116,000 visitors last
year and boasts one of the largest collections of Caribbean art in the
United States. Visitors of the “Master Artists of The Bahamas” exhibit
in Iowa will also be the first to view
Match Me If You Can, a
documentary on life of international renowned
naïve
artist, Amos
Ferguson. The film was produced by American filmmakers, Karen and Tom
Neuwirth, who also created the seminal documentary on Bahamian art,
Artists of the Bahamas and the film,
Brent Malone: Father of Bahamian Art.
On
hand for Thursday’s press conference at the National Art Gallery of The
Bahamas (NAGB) were Bahamian historian and NAGB Board Chair, Dr. Gail
Saunders; Owner of Doongalik Studios Art Gallery, Pam Burnside who
served as the Mistress of Ceremony and represented her late husband,
Jackson Burnside whose artwork will be featured in Iowa; Marysa Malone,
who represented her late father, Brent Malone; and Antonius Roberts and
Max Taylor, two of the exhibit’s featured artists, who will also
participate in a two-day symposium in Iowa where they will join the
other featured contemporary artists in a discussion on the
socio-political context of their work.
U.S. Ambassador Nicole A. Avant gives remarks at the launch of the “Master Artists of The Bahamas” Exhibit at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.
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In
her remarks Ambassador Avant applauded Pam Burnside and the late
Jackson Burnside for their passion for the arts and their commitment to
promoting The Bahamas beyond a destination of just sand, sun and sea,
but as a destination where visitors can also explore and enjoy this
country’s vibrant art scene and rich cultural heritage. Ambassador
Avant also thanked the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Doongalik
Studios, and all of the artists featured in the WCA exhibit for sharing
their passion and talent with art lovers in the United States.
“This
exhibit 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,” explained Ambassador Avant.
The
U.S. Embassy is a sponsor of the “Master Artists of The Bahamas”
exhibit, in recognition of the International Year for People of African
Descent, which aims to advance the integration of people of African
descent and to promote a greater knowledge and respect of the
Caribbean’s diverse heritage and culture. It is hoped that the exhibit
in Iowa will stimulate an ongoing exchange between artists from The
Bahamas and the United States and that the footage captured of the
exhibit and the artists’ dialogue will be used in local schools as a
tool to stimulate the creativity of youth and inspire The Bahamas’ next
generation of artists.
Pam Burnside gives Ambassador Avant a tour of the collection of artwork on display at the NAGB by one of the exhibit’s featured Bahamian artists, Kendal Hanna.
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