This is the second of a three-part post. Part I can be found here and part III is forthcoming. In 1961, the then young politician Edward Seaga delivered his seminal speech "The Haves and the Have Nots" in the Jamaican Upper House. Irrespective of how we may feel about the ideological and political path Seaga... Continue Reading →
“It’s All Broken” – or, Why the Imagination Needs to Rule
"It's all broken," the child said to his mother. And right he was, as there is very little that remains intact and functional at the once bustling Kingston railway terminus on Pechon Street in downtown Kingston. The occasion was a recent guided tour, facilitated by Kingston Creative, and guided by the Jamaican architect Patrick Stanigar.... Continue Reading →
Shifting the Conversation: Ania Freer’s “All That Don’t Leave”
Work by Alexander "Bamboo King" Dempster in foreground, with exhibition sign by Kemel Leeford Rankine in the background Ania Freer describes herself as "an Australian/Jamaican filmmaker and creative story-teller." She operates and curates an online gallery and Instagram platform, Goat Curry Gallery, which features work by the Jamaican craft producers she works with as well... Continue Reading →
Petrona Morrison – New Works
The acclaimed Jamaican multi-media artist Petrona Morrison will be having a solo exhibition, entitled New Works, which opens at 10A West King’s House Road, on Saturday, September 14. Petrona Morrison holds a BA (Fine Arts) from McMaster University and an MFA from Howard University. She has exhibited locally and internationally, in exhibitions such as the... Continue Reading →
The National Gallery of Jamaica: Some Notes on Governance and Institutional History
It appears that sometime in June this year, there were two major staff appointments at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ): O'Neil Lawrence, who previously served as Senior Curator, was promoted to Chief Curator, and Dr Jonathan Greenland, who had been acting as Executive Director since shortly after I left, became Senior Director. This first... Continue Reading →
Parochialism or Inclusiveness? The Inaugural NGJ Summer Exhibition – Part II
Katrina Coombs - Golden Flow This is part two of a two-part post. The first part can be found here. Taking a closer look at the NGJ Summer Exhibition reveals a few pleasant surprises but also pulls the exhibition’s weaknesses and failings into sharper perspective. Perhaps the most outstanding work in the exhibition is Lucille... Continue Reading →