- Norman Grindley"Addiction" by Lennox Coke is on display at Art Expo organised by the Jamaica Artists and Craftsmen Guild.
Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Artists and Craftsmen Guild wants more "ordinary Jamaicans" to appreciate the visual arts.
The Guild's third annual art exposition provides yet another opportunity to foster this cultural and artistic awareness. The two-day show, which began yesterday, is being held at Windsor Great House on the Caymanas Estates (opposite the Caymanas Golf Club), and will be open to the public between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. today.
The Guild wants the public to see and be more aware of the wide range of paintings, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics, prints and other art forms being produced by local artists.
To this end, the organisation has been hosting a series of expositions and fairs since the beginning of the year designed to share members' art and craft with the public.
Spokesperson for the Guild, Dawn Vaz, has described these shows as "very successful" for art lovers, enthusiasts, and members alike.
"The various events have helped our efforts to educate the public about Jamaican art," she told The Sunday Gleaner. "And, more importantly, they've created a sales/promotion opportunity for artists, while fostering unity and solidarity among us."
The works of over 40 members are on display today in a range of disciplines including photography, print-making, sculpture, ceramics, painting, weaving, and craft items.
Ms. Vaz explained to The Sunday Gleaner that selection of the works were made by a five-member juried panel, comprising artists, gallery owners and art collectors.
"This juried panel were persons unassociated with the Guild, so the works here today represent the highest quality and design among members," she said.
Eye-catching
Among the eye-catching paintings are Addiction by Lennox Coke; Firewood by Robert Amstrong; Maroon Celebration done by Franklyn Tracey and Earth Voices by John Walters.
Cedar carvings by sculptor Clifford Osdorne are done in a bold style and can serve as either practical or decorative items.
To enhance the offerings, works by several "invited artists" are also mounted such as Alexander Cooper, Lois Lake-Sherwood, Rafiki Kariuki, Juliet R, Dorothy Henriques-Wells, Seya Parboosingh, Stand-ford Watson and Carol Cambell.
Ms. Vaz pointed out that this year's exposition was different from last year's "interactive art fair" hosted at Richmond Great House in Half-Way Tree.
"This year, our members sought to lift standards and opted to host a more formal exhibition," she said.
The cool, picturesque Windsor Great House provides the perfect backdrop for the exposition. This over-100-year-old building has a rich history, dating back to colonial times. It currently serves as the display room for The Original Bamboo Factory, also situated on the Caymanas Estates.
In fact, hand-crafted bamboo furniture from the factory are also on display at the exposition - a complete line for the home (verandah, living, and dining rooms), office, even hotel furnishings.
A new product - bamboo floorboard - is also being exhibited. The factory produces furniture for local and overseas markets.
Managing Director John Hamilton feels that bamboo can be considered "liveable art", which can complement other art forms, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, and textile art.
