Bahamian Art & Culture

03/02/2025

Bahamian Art + Culture is proud to announce that Haitian-Bahamian artist Jeffrey Meris has been selected as a 2025 Vilcek Foundation Prize winner amongst 14 other stellar individuals in the fields of Biomedical Science, Visual Arts, and Curatorial Work. This year, the Vilcek distributed a total of $950,000 in awards.

Born in Haiti and raised in The Bahamas, Jeffrey Meris receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Visual Arts for his work engaging materiality, installation, and performance to explore the power of ecology and embodiment to liberate and heal from individual and historical trauma.

The 2025 Vilcek Foundation Prizes are given to outstanding immigrant professionals and cultural leaders who have made profound impacts in their fields and society more broadly.

Congratulations Jeffrey!

Click here for full list of 2025 prizewinners:
https://vilcek.co/42AnHWu



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28/01/2025

“Jonkonnu” or “Junkanoo” is not just a festival, but a testament to Black resilience, creativity, and resistance. It is a living archive of intersectional Black life that can only be brought to life through those willing to preserve it.

Jonkonnu is not just a festival, but a living archive of intersectional Black life that can only be brought to life through those willing to preserve it.

27/01/2025

🎉 Facebook recognised our page as a top rising creator this week! Woohoo! 🥳 🎉

23/01/2025

It’s the beginning of the 2025 Bahamas art calendar and three new exhibitions of stunning work are opening this evening (Thursday, January 23rd) in Nassau. Come on out for a gallery hop!

1.
“Fragments of Being”
A group exhibition featuring 20 young Bahamian artists whose work explores the imperfect, layered & evolving qualities of self-hood using collage and mixed media.
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The D’Aguilar Art Foundation
8A Virginia Street, Downtown Nassau
5 PM - 8:30 PM (Open Bar)

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2.
“An Unmistakable Softness”
New works by Jamaican artist Leasho Johnson created during a 3-month residency here in New Providence.
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TERN Gallery, The Island House, Western Road (Western Nassau)
6-7 PM Artist’s talk
7-9 PM Cocktails and music
Ends March 8, 2025

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3.
“Max Taylor: Vintage Works”
A collection of the Bahamian master artist’s paintings and works on paper
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CAB - Contemporary Art Bahamas
South Ocean Blvd, Western Nassau
6PM - 8PM.

Please support these first new shows of the year and our community of talented hardworking artists and galleries.

22/01/2025

Bahamian Long Islander Edsel Knowles first discovered the art of boatbuilding as a child under the guidance of his grandfather, the legendary Rupert Knowles. Since then, he has diligently honed his skills, learning from other esteemed Long Island boatbuilders, including Mack, Bert, and Mark Knowles. Currently, Edsel is immersed in the creation of an E-Class sloop, expertly applying the techniques he has spent a lifetime perfecting.

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20/01/2025

In more great Stan Burnside news…..

This past weekend, January 16-19, the Bahamian master artist’s work was represented by Mestre Projects gallery in the third edition of Art SG in Singapore, one of Asia’s most renowned contemporary art fairs. Mestre proudly showcased Burnside’s exceptional talent in a body of nine new paintings that reference themes of Surrealism, portraiture, and the artist’s African heritage. Burnside is one of the most influential Bahamian artists working today, recognized for his singular style that favors subtle, tonal color palettes and nuanced engagement with Bahamian culture..

Mestre’s booth presentation of Burnside’s work at Art SG underscored the significance of storytelling in preserving the cultural identity of Afro-Caribbean people and their enduring connection to African ancestry. This tradition of orality has been transformed into evocative visual symbols, archiving both fictional and factual narratives, fables, and truths that traverse African history and intersect with other cultures. The exhibition further delved into the complex interplay of familial, societal, and environmental influences and pressures, while tracing the delicate thread of hope that serves as a pathway to healing intergenerational traumas.

This milestone marks a significant moment for Mestre, Burnside, and The Bahamas.

20/01/2025

On view now at Mestre Projects art gallery at the Albany Resort, is a new and captivating exhibition entitled ‘Blacks and The Blues’ by renowned Bahamian master artist—and my former college art professor 😁—STAN BURNSIDE. Supporting the exhibition is a lush and expository essay written by lauded Bahamian writer, author, scholar, and poet Patricia Glinton-Meicholas.

Exhibition ends February 15th 2025.

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“With his ‘Blacks and the Blues’, artist Stan Burnside, a devoted son of The Bahamas takes an unvarnished look at Bahamian heritage and culture today. In equal measure, he posits issues of gender and race-based inequalities and inequities, all impacted by the two-faced issues and realities of modern life at home and universally. Evident in the messaging are deep contrasts—the heavenly and hellish, beauty and bigotry, hope and despair that leap across purposefully constructed race and gender divisions and barriers….

“On [his] canvases…we can discern Burnside’s deeply felt view on these persistent and daunting challenges. Clear also are his animating principles, deep thought and mystical command of line and color, all bound up in the artist’s unique brand of surrealism. These new works prove gripping and unforgettable on a multiplicity of levels….”

— An excerpt from “Stan Burnside’s Lyrical ‘Blacks & the Blues’: Deep Chords of Sorrow and Marginality, Sweet Melodies of Triumph”
© Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, 2024.

To read full essay, visit Mestre’s website: https://www.mestreprojects.com/2024/blacks-and-the-blues

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Mestre Projects
Albany Resort, South Ocean Blvd
Hours: Monday - Saturday
10am - 6pm

To view the exhibition, contact Mestre at:
https://www.mestreprojects.com/visits

15/01/2025

Bahamian Art + Culture welcomes you to a new year of creativity, innovation, and excellence from our nation’s world class creatives! 🥳🎉

And to kick off 2025, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) just announced the appointment of Maelynn Ford as its new Executive Director, effective Monday, January 6, 2025.

Following an extensive eight-month search, Ford, a highly respected leader in the arts and education sector, brings a wealth of experience and a focused vision to advance NAGB’s role as an integral part of Bahamian art and culture.

“Finding the right leader for the NAGB was a challenging but rewarding process, and we are thrilled to welcome Maelynn Ford,” said John Cox, Chair of the NAGB Board. “Her academic background, administrative expertise, and demonstrated passion for the arts make her uniquely suited to guide the museum into an exciting new chapter. We are confident in her ability to further our mission as a space that fosters creativity, accessibility, and inspires pride through art.”

Ford’s vision for the NAGB is clear: it’s about education and accessibility. “Every school child should know who we are and, by extension, know Bahamian artists. They need to understand that careers in the arts are possible,” Ford said. “If we don’t educate our community, our pool of arts bastions won’t grow. Art makes us human, and I’m committed to ensuring that the NAGB touches as many in our community as possible to spread this kind of humanity.”

Read full press release at: https://nagb.org.bs/maelynn-ford-appointed-executive-director-of-the-national-art-gallery-of-the-bahamas/

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02/12/2024

Bahamian Art & Culture is reporting that scores of Bahamian artists are showcasing their work in Miami Beach this week and next for the world’s biggest art party in December: The 2024 Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week, deemed “The Super Bowl of the Art World.” Hundreds and hundreds of galleries from over 100 countries will be showcasing their best, including these Bahamian galleries and artists:

1. The work of Bahamian artist Lavar Munroe will be featured at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, represented by the Monique Meloche Gallery, Booth A9 in the Galleries Sector of the Miami Beach Convention Centre.

2. The Current Gallery at Baha Mar is showcasing a new curated presentation with SCOPE Art Show, titled Blue Floor Project, at Booth E13, highlighting artists from The Bahamas and across the Caribbean in an exhibition titled “God Is the Soil”, featuring Bahamian artists Heino Schmid, Kendra Frorup, Antonius Roberts, and Jason Bennett, as well as Caribbean artists Deborah Jack, Marlon Griffith, James Cooper, David Gumbs, and more.

3. TERN Gallery of Nassau is presenting the practices of Bahamian artists Heino Schmid and Tessa Whitehead, as well as Jamaican artist Leasho Johnson, in the Untitled Art Show, Miami Beach, Booth B31.

4. Bahamian artist Gio Swaby will be premiering fresh new works with the progressive Claire Oliver Gallery at SCOPE Art Show, Miami Beach, Booth F01. Apparently some big news about Gio will be revealed at the show, so stay tuned!

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Gio Swaby

02/12/2024

Bahamian Art & Culture is watching award-winning Bahamian multimedia artist Tavares Strachan as he joins another highly regarded creative powerhouse—American documentary filmmaker and producer Ken Burns—in one of Burns’ PBS Unum Chats where they discuss Leonardo Da Vinci’s influence on artists’ pursuit of meaning and the use of the transgressive as a means towards transcendence.

In the discussion, a comparison is made between Da Vinci’s infamous ‘The Last Supper’ painting and Strachan’s monumental bronze sculpture entitled ‘The First Supper’ unveiled at the Royal Academy of Arts in London this summer.

This interview is in support of the release of Burns’ new two-part, four-hour documentary series entitled “Leonardo Da Vinci”, now streaming on PBS and the PBS app.

• Tavares’ interview at this link:
https://www.pbs.org/video/unum-chat-tavares-strachan-ftyg0q

• Ken Burns’ 2-part Leonardo Da Vinci doc:
https://www.pbs.org/show/leonardo-da-vinci/

(PS: You may need a VPN service to access these links if you’re outside of the USA).

28/11/2024

Let’s give a huge round of applause to exceptional Bahamian musician, educator, performer, and scholar, Giovanni T. Clarke who was officially announced last Friday as the second recipient of a 2024 Harry C. Moore Memorial Scholarship in the Arts.

Giovanni has earned a Bachelor’s of Education in Music K-12 from University of The Bahamas. He has, not one, but two Masters Degrees — the first, a Master of Music Education from VanderCook College of Music; the other, a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Central Washington University. With the help of the Harry Moore Scholarship, Giovanni is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting at the University of Maryland, School of Music in College Park, Maryland. Upon graduation, Giovanni will be the first Bahamian to hold this specific title and distinction.🥳

Giovanni has been widely honored. In 2017, he received the National Youth Award for Arts and Culture and the top award - The Prime Ministers Cup for making the most significant contribution to nation-building above all other category winners that year. In 2018, he received the Meta Davis Cumberbatch Award for most outstanding instrumental performance in the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival. In 2019, he received the Lou Adams Award for instrumental conducting. Giovanni was voted Teacher of the Year from 2019-2021 at C.V. Bethel High School and was the 1st Runner up in the National Teacher of the Year competition 2019-2021.

The Lyford Cay Foundations administers the Harry Moore Arts Scholarship. Considered The Bahamas’ premier, flagship art award, it is given to the most outstanding graduate candidate applying for study in the fields of fine art, the visual arts, music, performance, or writing. Congratulations Gio!

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23/11/2024

A hearty and well deserved congratulations to talented emerging Bahamian artist Cydne Coleby who was officially announced today as one of this year’s Harry C. Moore Memorial Scholarship in the Arts recipients. Cydne, who primarily works in digital and mixed media, is using her scholarship to pursue her Master of Fine Arts in Painting at Bard College in New York.

The Harry Moore Arts Scholarship, which is administered by the Lyford Cay Foundations, is referred to as The Bahamas’ premier, flagship art award given to the most outstanding graduate applicant applying for study in the fields of fine and the visual arts, music, performance, or writing.

It is a merit-based scholarship awarded to the candidate based on the strength and gravity of their portfolio, their creative body of work, their talent and ability, the maturity of thinking in their practice, and, of course, potential for growth. The Harry Moore represents the best and brightest creative talent in our nation; those who are chosen meet an exceptional standard.

Cydne joins the illustrious company of a few other heavyweight Harry Moore scholars including Tavares Strachan, Jeffrey Meris, Heino Schmid, Sonovia Pierre, Dion Cunningham, Averia Wright, Aidan Barrow, and Alexia Tolas to name a few.

With over 50 years of committed service and excellence, Lyford Cay Foundations has invested more than $50 million in communities throughout The Bahamas. 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the Harry Moore Memorial Scholarship in the arts.

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13/11/2024

Fulbright Scholarship award-winning Bahamian artist and art educator Dr Kendra Froup is holding a free presentation on her work at the University of The Bahamas, Tuesday, 19 November, 2024 at 7pm, Harry C Moore Library Auditorium.

Dr Frorup received a prestigious Fulbright arts grant earlier this year for the purpose of partnering with the University of The Bahamas and focusing on teaching experimental sculpture and 3D Design.

Dr Frorup is an Associate Professor at the University of Tampa in the Department of Art and Design. As a professor of sculpture for 20 years, she brings her expertise to UB and plans to integrate sustainability and sustainable practices into the creation and display of three-dimensional artmaking, by using recycled materials and eco-friendly display methods and incorporating experimental sculpture within the curriculum. It is her goal to create dialogue about contemporary and traditional issues, cultural relevance, and sustainable practice.



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07/11/2024

The new ✨ “Grandeur” ✨ exhibition opened Nov 7th at the D’Aguilar Art Foundation (DAF) on Virginia Street, downtown Nassau. The bold, evocative work of four incredible women artists from Grand Bahama: Chantal Bethel, Claudette Dean, Paula Boyd Farrington, and Laurie Tuchel are on display until December 31, 2024.

This new exhibition explores certain questions as the world grapples with shifts in energy and spiritual consciousness. Through their work, the artists seek to promote urgent planetary care, empathy and compassion in this rapidly changing environment.

In working together to create this beautiful exhibition, these singular Grand Bahamian artists look to each other, as well as to their beloved island, in shining a light of inspiration and solidarity through their own unique perspectives andChantal E Y BethelyChantal Bethelfoundation Deanchantalbethelart Laurie TucheleDionne Benjamin-Smithlaudette_dean