Tucked away in some of the most unexpected places on New Providence are some of the island’s most interesting art spaces featuring a broad range of work and a glimpse into the little seen work areas of local artists.
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Art spaces, including the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, will be featured in an innovative art immersion known as Transforming Spaces starting tomorrow. |
Five of those galleries have joined forces with the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas for a second year of Transforming Spaces, an innovative art immersion which this year involves Post House Gallery, Popopstudios Gallery, Stingrae Studios, Doongalik Gallery and New Providence Art and Antiques.
"It’s fun. It’s relaxing. It’s also engaging and interesting," says John Cox, artist and spokesperson for the group of galleries. "The best thing about it is you’re being taken on a journey, hosted by these art spaces that are not your traditional white wall spaces. The charm of it is that the spaces all have a different dynamic."
Transforming Spaces 2006 takes the form of a bus tour, starting at the NAGB and stopping at each of the five art spaces for five separate exhibitions.
It’s a concept borrowed from the AIDS Foundation’s Dine-Around fundraiser and has proved to be very successful. Last year more than 150 art enthusiasts participated in what has been described as an "art happening." And this year, the event has been expanded over two weekends to accommodate the expected high numbers.
Post House Gallery, Prospect Ridge, the showing space of artist Antonius Roberts will feature the work of Roberts, Max Taylor and metal sculptor Tyrone Ferguson; Stingrae Studios is the art space of artist Malcolm Rae, who will use his home and surrounding garden to display his own works and those of other artists, including John Paul.
At Popopstudios Gallery in Chippingham, Cox’s space, which fosters an alternative Bahamian visual culture, works by Cox, Jason Bennett, Toby Lunn, Kendal Hanna, Nadia Campbell, Holly Parotti, Michael Edwards, Blue Curry and Heino Schmid will be on display.
Architect-Artist Jackson Burnside’s Doongalik Gallery on Village Road, a new space to participate in the event, features the work of artists currently seen at its Marina Village gallery, including Toby Lunn, Taino Bullard and Lamero Wright.
New Providence Art and Antiques on Bank Lane, operated by art and antiques dealer Jay Koment, is also on the Transforming Spaces route and will include the work of various Bahamian artists, including Kendal Hanna and Wellington Bridgewater and historic paintings by Buchter Kirch, Woodcock, Etnier and Hoffman, and photographs by Jacob Coonley.
The tour starts and ends at the NAGB, which is currently staging the "What is Africa to Me?" and the national collection exhibitions.
"Ten, even five years ago you would not have been able to make something like this work, now it works perfectly," says Cox. "People enjoy being in the space were the artist lives and works, and most of the spaces are managed by artists."
While the artist’s space is obviously nothing new, Cox says it takes an event like Transforming Spaces to bring the artists together and expose the wider public to them.
All of the spaces are open for viewing all year round, but the general public is largely unaware that these places even exist.
"People don’t expect to see art in Chippingham or Monestary Park," says Cox.
NAGB Director Erica James describes Transforming Spaces as an art happening designed to "nurture increased cooperation and a sense of community amongst art spaces on the island; extend audiences for art within these spaces and stimulate interactions and deepen dialogue between artists, art and the Bahamian people."
Through distinctive curatorship, each exhibition space is theoretically "transformed" for the event, launching brand new exhibitions that express unique elements of The Bahamas’ developing and diverse art culture, says Ms. James.
"It is hoped that the second incarnation of this event will solidify the relationship amongst the partners, stimulate the formation of new spaces and reach a large number of Bahamians and international guests," she says.
Although the exhibitions will run throughout the week, during the Saturday bus tours, each venue will produce a unique schedule of art, demonstrations, refreshments and entertainment.
"It’s a good opportunity to show your work with other people, you have a captive audience and getting some new exposure for your work – things like that really help," says Cox.
Buses will leave the NAGB promptly at 11am on Saturday, May 6 and Saturday, May 13.
Because each location will provide special presentations and libations on Saturday, May 6 and May 13, there will be no admission to the venues on these dates without having secured a paid pass from the NAGB. Passes - $10 for members and $15 for the general public – can be pre-paid but will not be distributed until the day of the event.
All proceeds and donations will go towards the Brent Malone Artist-in-Residence Fund.
Please contact Ms. Morris at 328-5800 or 328-5801 to reserve a place on the bus and to pre-pay for the event. All unpaid reservations will be forfeited at 10:50am on the day of the event.
- Austin DWI - New York DWI