Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Guests view one of Michael Lester's work as the National Gallery of Jamaica launched the Michael Lester exhibition - PHOTOS BY NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
JAMAICA SEEMS to bring out the best in persons in the arts, and one who came under the influence is now being honoured by the people he grew to love.
The 'Michael Lester: Picturing Paradise, A Centenary Tribute' was launched at the National Gallery on Sunday. Born in Poland, his last name was originally Leszczynski but he changed it to Lester upon moving to Jamaica.
Collectors, artists and art aficionados viewed the works before the official opening. The gallery was vibrating with the sounds of the mento band playing Jamaican classics for guests' enjoyment. Executive director of the gallery, Dr. Jonathan Greenland, revealed that Lester spent the last 20 years of his life in the island and that the exhibit was to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth.
MOVING TO KINGSTON
Audrey Marks, chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company, remarked that apart from his name, Lester also changed the course of his life; setting up a studio in Kingston before designing and constructing his home in St. James where he found peace and inspiration. She opined that his finest works were created here as he discovered the beauty of the landscape, the vitality of human life and even took inspiration from the heat and dust.
She felt honoured to speak on Lester as he did his part with the Tourism Ministry to help and promote the island. She felt that today, through tourism, there are tremendous opportunities for local artists. She stated that many visitors who have the desire (and pockets to match), wanted to buy art from the region but often left unsatisfied. She urged the need for assistance to local artists in the form of art markets and education, which will improve the quality of the works produced.
