Maryland Governor moots deeper business, educational relationship with Jamaica

The Governor of the State of Maryland Wes Moore says he wants to enter into greater business and educational partnership with the government of Jamaica

Speaking during a courtesy call paid on him by Minister of Industry Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill and Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, last Friday, Governor Moore said he was excited and proud about the potential partnership between Maryland and Jamaica

“I am ready to take it to new heights I want for us to be true partners in every sense of the word, in education and business partnership We have a very strong and proud Jamaica diaspora population here in the state of Maryland,” he said

Governor Moore pointed out that he was not just the first black governor of the state of Maryland. Rather he is “someone who proudly comes from Jamaican roots This is a moment right here that we can do special things together,” he declared

The Maryland Governor whose mother hails from Westmoreland, pointed to some of the areas in which Jamaica and the State of Maryland could forge partnerships “I think about some of the great assets of Maryland that we have, including a very strong cyber platform; we are strong in terms of tourism and trade; and with the utilization of the ports in

Baltimore, which is the largest in the United States I think that we are able to be in partnership with Jamaica,” Moore said We know that there are very strong economic bonds between Maryland and Jamaica and these are things we plan to work very hard on, with the leadership of Ambassador Marks to be able to make sure those bonds are strengthened and built out,” the Maryland Governor declared

Minister Hill noted that “ we explored the possibility of student exchanges cooperation between universities and to have the city of Kingston twinned with the city of Baltimore We also looked at developing Jamaica into a cyber security producer of experts and producer of Jamaican young men who can take Jamaica to a much higher level in the digital service business by focusing on cyber security service ”

Senator Hill pointed out that Governor Moore was very clear that he would be committed to help Jamaica to build this area of our service industry and to make sure that the intellectual exchange and business would be beneficial to both Jamaica and the state of Maryland

The Industry Commerce and Investment Minister along with Ambassador Marks paid a courtesy call on the Maryland Governor at the office of the governor at the Maryland state house in Annapolis on Friday, June 30 Present at the meeting with the Governor were the Secretary of State for Maryland Susan Lee, and the Secretary of Commerce for Maryland Kevin Anderson

Pompano Beach Arts presents “(in) visible: pair-a-dice” by Dominican-American artist Kandy G Lopez

Pompano Beach Arts presents a visual art exhibition at Bailey Contemporary Arts Center featuring original works by DominicanAmerican artist Kandy G Lopez entitled (in) visible: pair-a-dice

The project goes beyond the typical notion of the Caribbean as a paradise and explores colorism, economic disparity, and political trauma

This new body of work features stained glass portraits of people of color and introduces a contemporary view of an ancient technique

The show opens on July 14, 2023 and an artist talk and reception will take place during Old Town Untapped Summer Sizzle on Friday, August 4 at 6-10 p m

“Kandy’s use of stained glass is truly remarkable,” said Ty Tabing, Director, Cultural

Affairs Department “While we are all familiar with the art form, her creations bring to light current cultural and social ideas that must be examined and discussed ”

Lopez is a figurative artist who works with multiple mediums to explore and experiment with issues such as race, gentrification, immigration, and defense mechanisms

As an Afro-Dominican American artist, she acknowledges that these topics are a part of her heritage and are important to share with others Lopez has previously worked with photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, and sculpture, but has started to focus on glass as a medium Lopez’s venture into glass work harkens back to her academic studies

“I have painted on glass in grad school and used it to metaphorically describe the vulnerability of the people who were erased from the surface,” said Lopez She uses glass as a metaphor for psychological transparency and the lack thereof She explores the idea that people of color often have a defense mechanism where they “act tough” in certain situations instead of allowing themselves to be transparent Lopez worked on (in) visible: pair-a-dice in 2023 as a part of the NACAN artist residency Her travel to her maternal homeland, the Dominican Republic, further developed her artistic practice and allowed for deeper experimentation on glass

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