Today’s throwback is a snapshot of a group of international visitors posing for a group shot with Assistant Curator, Monique Gilpin after an illuminating tour of ‘Selections from the National Collection – Mallica ‘Kapo’ Reynolds’ exhibition, which opened for viewing at National Gallery West in October 2017.
Our throw back highlights a candid shot of classmates from Herbert Morrison Technical Highscool taking a moment to view David Pinto’s clay series on exhibit at National Gallery West’s inaugural Due West exhibition in 2019.
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It’s International Women’s Month and we are dedicated to highlighting women in art for the month of March in our #Throwback Thursday series and once per week in our Instagram Stories.
National Gallery West was pleased to host its second staging of our annual exhibition Due West which opened in January 2020. Created in 2018, Due West is a submission-based exhibition which is a key part of a continuing initiative aimed at discovering and showcasing the work of artists both emerging and professional, who live in, or are from Western Jamaica. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, Due West has been postponed to 2022.
Today’s throwback features work by Esther Chin, a native of St. Mary, who had a passion for art from an early age and begun to express herself through drawing, using the exterior and interior spaces of her home as a canvas. Esther pursued her studies at the School of Arts & Visual Studies at the University of Kentucky in the United States as well as The Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts in Kingston, achieving an MFA in Sculpture & Fibre Arts and a BFA in Painting. Her inspiration comes from her love for the environment; its flora and fauna, social issues, her cultural identity and personal experiences. Her work, ‘Ma Tapestry’ was featured in National Gallery West’s Due West exhibition in January 2020.
“My art is the truth of my soul through which I speak.”
It’s International Women’s Month and we are dedicated to highlighting women in art for the month of March in our #Throwback Thursday series and once per week in our Insta Stories.
Today’s throwback features works by intuitive artist, Elijah (Geneva Mais Jarrett) from the ‘Spiritual Yards’ Exhibition, a selection from the Wayne & Myrene Cox Collection. Spiritual Yards explores how many of the self-taught, popular artists – or “Intuitives,” as they are now conventionally called in Jamaica – have their roots in religious and spiritual practices such as Revival and Rastafari. Several of these artists have produced or contributed to so-called “spiritual yards,” or sacred spaces that feature ritual and symbolic objects and images that are meant engage or represent the spirits, which was either the start of their artistic practice or remained as its main focus. As Wayne Cox has rightly argued, these spiritual yards are often their most outstanding works of art and their cultural significance in the Jamaican context warrants further exploration.
Geneva Mais Jarrett became ‘Elijah’ when she was baptized as a young adult. Elijah took on the role of preacher and prophetess, creating the Elijah Tabernacle in her home in the community of Rose Town, Kingston. She consecrated the area by painting most of the outside surfaces of the building, gate and zinc fencing with mural scenes of angels and events of the bible. She consecrated the area by painting most of the outside surfaces of the building, gate and zinc fencing with mural scenes of angels and events of the bible. She also hung painted banners and seals, as well as set up revival basins. Her yard became a safe haven in tough times.
To read more, visit: https://nationalgalleryofjamaica.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/spiritual-yards-gallery-4-part-2-elijah/
Artworks:
Left: The Angels of Deliverance and Light, 1996
Right: Elijah – Noah Warns the Nation of the Coming of God (1996), Wayne and Myrene Cox Collection
Elijah – The Conquering Lion Shall Loose Every Chain (1996), Wayne and Myrene Cox Collection.
The Jamaica Biennial 2017 featured more than 160 works of art by more than 90 artists at three different locations, National Gallery of Jamaica, Devon House in Kingston and National Gallery West in Montego Bay. The Jamaica Biennial 2017 comprised of an invited section, to which artists with a proven track record were invited to submit and a juried section, which was open to artists living in Jamaica and Jamaican diaspora artists. There were six special projects by international invitees. These international artists were Caribbean based artists invited to contribute special projects to the 2017 Biennial. David Gumbs, who was one of the special projects artists, is from St. Martin and lives and works in Martinique. His work featured a visually stunning interactive video installation titled ‘Xing Wang – Blossoms, at National Gallery West. His interactive video installation reflects his preoccupation with the unseen, the cycle of life, the nature within and the digital universe.
This exhibition opened to the public on February 24, 2017 with guest speaker Homer Davis, the former Mayor of Montego Bay, and the artist David Gumbs.
To read more, visit: https://nationalgallerywest.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/jamaica-biennial-2017-at-national-gallery-west-features-david-gumbs-xing-wang-video-installation/
Our throwback photo features this interesting 360 degree camera shot of the middle of the gallery during the opening reception of our Due West exhibition in January 2020. Photo courtesy of Jason Easy.
Today’s throwback features one of NGW’s many interview moments, a snapshot of Assistant Curator, Monique Gilpin with Attorney at Law and radio host, Clive Mullings post an interview on the powerhouse afternoon radio talk show, Hotline on RJR FM in February 2019. RJR’s Hotline aired live, receiving insight on National Gallery West and our quest in giving back to the community through our programming. It also highlighted our efforts in continuing to advocate for the arts and culture in Western Jamaica.
#TBT | Today’s throwback features a photo taken post an interview with Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc. in October 2018 during the Art of Jamaican Sculpture exhibition at National Gallery West. They were in Jamaica doing a feature on our historical landmarks as well as other aspects of our rich culture and heritage.
National Gallery West was pleased to have welcomed Venezuelan Cadets to our ‘Xaymaca: Nature and the Landscape in Jamaican Art’ exhibition, in July 2015. The exhibition opened for viewing at National Gallery West from May 8, 2015 – August 8, 2015.
How’s this for a #TBT? Veteran Journalist and Broadcaster Fae Ellington ( center), pose with David Shields , Vice President of Island Routes and Assistant Curator of National Gallery West , Monique Gilpin, after a brief tour of the ‘Masculinities’ exhibition at National Gallery West in 2016.
National Gallery West 