EXCERPTS FROM THE CENTRAL BANK’S PERMANENT ART COLLECTION
Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank - A Pillar of Arts Comittment Excerpts From The Central Bank’s Permanent Art Collection The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas Design By: Keisha Oliver Photography By: Roland Rose Curated By: Amanda Coulson Š 2017 The Central Bank of The Bahamas No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
The Central Bank of The Bahamas P.O. Box N-4868 Nassau, N.P., Bahamas
www.centralbankbahamas.com ISBN 976-8201-05-3
TABLE OF CONTENTS 06
REMARKS FROM THE GOVERNOR
07
REMARKS FROM THE CURATOR
09
FOUNDATIONS
19
THE 80S BOOM
25
FROM HERE TO THERE
31
THE EVERYDAY
37
LINE AND FORM
47
FIGURES
57
TO THE SOURCE
71
FUTURES
REMARKS FROM
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE GOVERNOR
JOHN ROLLE
Governor, Central Bank of The Bahamas
The Central Bank of The Bahamas realized the milestone of its 40th anniversary in June, 2014. That achievement alone is a cause for reflection and celebration. In one such undertaking, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) curated and hosted a four-month long exhibition entitled, “Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank – A Pillar of Arts Commitment.” The exhibition was a selection from the Bank’s collection, and highlighted the role the Bank has been playing in the development of the country’s visual arts and artists. The Bank decided to encapsulate the significance of that role, and of the exhibition, by producing our first Art Collection Catalogue, which showcases the artwork and accompanying text of the NAGB exhibition. Within this book is a visual and historical journey that reflects the vibrant and visionary establishment of The Bahamas and its people. The breadth and depth of the Bank’s collection also reflects the visionary contributions of all of the Bank’s Governors, which has ensured that the Bank’s art collection and its support of the art community continue to endure and expand. One important impetus in that journey was by the Bank’s second Governor, Sir William Allen. He built on the art collection prowess of the Bank’s first Governor, Timothy Baswell Donaldson, by instituting an annual art competition, with secondary school and open categories, that became the leading springboard for artistic talent in The Bahamas. The annual competitions quickly became a major resource for supplying the Bank’s
collection, and for creating one of the most valuable and celebrated narratives about artists and their art. Since then, the succession of Governors —James Smith, Julian Francis, and Wendy Craigg— have each originated significant features of the Bank’s art development program, resulting in the evolution, enrichment, and continued national relevance of the program. Measuring and applying value is crucial to the Central Bank of The Bahamas satisfying its mandate of fostering stability for our nation’s monetary, economic, and financial services systems. It is difficult, or maybe even impossible, to place a dollar value on the contribution of art to our cultural and economic fabric. It is as difficult to access the worth of the past, present and future of a commitment such as the Bank’s Art Program. Artists in the Bahamas, through teamwork with local and international communities, help create and empower a national consciousness, and help initiate and strengthen the cultural dialogue with integrity, objectivity, and transparency. We challenge all artists to be daring and innovative, and to choose always the path to boundless creativity and purposeful freedom-filled expression. The Central Bank of The Bahamas is honoured to participate continually to the value and progress of cultural expression and the cultural economy. We are honoured to present the treasures in this commemorative book that are a representation of the Bank’s 40 years of a rewarding relationship with Bahamian art and artists.
CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS GOVERNORS Mr. John Rolle (2015- present)
Mr. James H. Smith (1987-1997)
Mrs. Wendy Craig (2005-2015)
Sir William C. Allen (1980-1987)
Mr. Julian Francis (1997-2005)
Mr. T. Baswell Donaldson (1974-1980)
REMARKS FROM
Curator, Central Bank of The Bahamas Art Gallery
not until the completion of the gallery in 1990, that the art program was expanded to include monthly art exhibitions to help launch the career of aspiring artists.
The vision of Sir William Allen former Governor of The Central Bank of The Bahamas, the art program began in 1983 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of The Bank.
Noted young artists like, John Beadle, Chan Pratt, Nicole and Roshan Minnis, Dorman Stubbs, Ricardo Knowles, Lillian Blades, Jessica Maycock Colebrooke, Tavares Strachan, Kishan Munroe, Lavar Munroe have been recipients of art prizes and or scholarships from The Central Bank of The Bahamas. These and other artists are presently practicing art professionally, in The Bahamas and or internationally.
At the invitation of Governor William Allen, I was commissioned to develop an art program to provide talented young Bahamians under the age of 26 and art students in high school with a platform to showcase their talents. Additionally the participants would compete for cash prizes and art scholarships to The College of The Bahamas. Prior to the expansion of the Bank to include the “Gallery�, which originally was intended by Governor Allen to include the display of coins, the works submitted for competition were displayed over a three day period, from Wednesday to Friday, around the veranda of the building. I painfully remember going to the bank 7:30 am in the mornings to display all submissions, returning at 4:00 pm in the afternoon to take down and secure pieces over the three day period. It was
Additionally, internationally respected curators and professors like Dr Erica James and Dr. Krista Thompson have been recognized for their artistic talents while competing in the high school category of the Central Bank of The Bahamas Annual Art Competition. More than three decades later, The Central Bank of The Bahamas continues to have a significant impact on the preservation and development of art in The Bahamas.
CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS ART GALLERY CURATORS Mr. Antonius Roberts (2013-Present)
Ms. Monique Rolle (1994-1996)
Mr. Heino Schmid (2008-2013)
Mr. Antonius Roberts (1984-1994)
Mr. Antonius Roberts (1996-2008)
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ANTONIUS ROBERTS
The Central Bank of The Bahamas Art Gallery is a non-profit gallery space dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the visual arts of The Bahamas.
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE CURATOR
FOUNDATIONS CHAN PRAT T EDDIE MINNIS NICK AUSTIN RANDOLPH JONSTON MAXWELL TAYLOR DR. GAIL SAUNDERS
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
FOUNDATIONS
The Central Bank’s decisive action to engage Donald Cartwright—the first Bahamian architect to practice in Nassau—as the lead architect on the Bank’s headquarters, sent a clear message that Bahamians would be responsible for their destiny, including the built environment in which their future would unfold. Original plans for the compound included both a museum and theatre; these were later excluded but, nonetheless, reveal the underlying attitude that the arts were also the bedrock of a nation.
(Chan Pratt, 1984), Veranda House and The Great House—with the promise to preserve them for posterity. All are still maintained, and the former is open to the public as an historic museum operated by the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation. These acts of both the preservation of an historic Bahamian vernacular and the establishment and construction of a new Bahamian architectural vocation and vocabulary were the early phases of how the Bank would secure and preserve the arts, while encouraging forward movement.
An architectural rendering from 1973 shows an early concept for the Central Bank, while a later watercolour and ink drawing by fine artist Eddie Minnis shows the completed structure in 1976. By necessity, the building had to be situated Downtown and, sadly, some of the historic residences that stood on the designated location—the south west corner of the block between Frederick St. on the east to Market St. on the west; and from Trinity Place on the north to Duke St. on the south—had to be cleared; later in 1989-1991, the building was extended northward toward Trinity Place and saw the loss of other historic homes. Some of these are memorialised in a series of oil paintings, by Chan Pratt. On view, here, is a home formerly on the corner of Trinity Place (1984) and Market St.
The first Governor, Mr. T. Baswell Donaldson (1974-1980) understood that the Bank should act as a reservoir of different types of wealth, both financial and cultural, similarly to other central banks throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. From the outset, therefore, investments were made in the purchase of artworks that would adorn the walls and offices of the headquarters, showing the best of Bahamian art, including paintings and sculpture. The small bronze—which normally welcomes visitors to the Governor’s wing—was purchased in 1976 and is a fabrication of the Johnston Forge, The Bahamas’ first and only monuments forge. The forge is, located still today where it was founded, in 1959, by the artist Randolph Johnston, in Little Harbour, Abaco. Meanwhile, the Central Bank Dollar by Nick “The Copper King” Austin—a former plumber who used the copper scraps to create his first artworks— pays tribute to the new currency. Governor Donaldson was also responsible for selecting the logo of the Central Bank, the sand dollar, whose markings are said to symbolise the Birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.
Perhaps there was an ideological bent to this action, sweeping away markers of the colonial past to lay new foundations for a more modern prospect. Nonetheless, later in the Bank’s history (from 1985-1987), the Central Bank also purchased the historic houses on the west side of Market Street. —now known as Balcony House
Eddie Minnis, Central Bank, Watercolor and ink on canvas, 1976 11 11
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FOUNDATIONS
EDDIE MINNIS
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Eddie Minnis, Yellow Shutters, Oil on canvas, 2008
Eddie Minnis, Out Island Scene, Oil on canvas, 2008
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CHAN PRATT
Chan Pratt, Balcony House, Oil on canvas, 1984
Chan Pratt, Trinity Place, Oil on canvas, 1984
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
NICK AUSTIN
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Orest, Architectural Rendering, 1972
Nick Austin, Central Bank Fifty Dollar, Copper
OREST
FOUNDATIONS
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
RANDOLPH JONHSTON Randolph Johnston, Untitled, Bronze, 1979 FOUNDATIONS
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MAXWELL TAYLOR
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Maxwell Taylor, Top of the Hill, Linocuts, 1975
FOUNDATIONS
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MAXWELL TAYLOR
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Maxwell Taylor, Bahamian Sloops, Oil on canvas, 1965 FOUNDATIONS
“The Central Bank of The Bahamas’ commitment to the arts continues to have a significant impact on the preservation and development of art in The Bahamas” Antonius Roberts
THE 80S BOOM RIC ARDO KNOWLES ANTONIUS ROBERTS ROSHANE MINNIS ERIC A MINNIS R. BRENT MALONE MONIQUE ROLLE
THE 80S BOOM
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
By the Bank’s 10th anniversary, in 1984, it already held a respectable collection, with works by the early pioneers of Bahamian art from the 70s, such as Eddie Minnis and Max Taylor, and the early 80s, such as Ricardo Knowles, among others. Much of this groundwork was laid during Governor Donaldson’s tenure in office (1974-1980). However, by 1984 there was a new Governor, who was charged with overseeing the decade celebrations. Sir William C. Allen (1980-1987) was a great supporter of the arts and later, as Finance Minister, he would oversee the purchase of the Villa Doyle on West Street, for the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB). Sir William desired to continue the Bank’s dedication to the arts by marking the decade milestone with expanding the commitment, using the already solid foundation as a launching pad for an ambitious approach that would both foster and collect Bahamian artists’ works and practices. He stated, “To a traditional central banker, central banking is itself an art and so it seemed not unnatural to me that the Central Bank of The Bahamas could uniquely associate itself with the encouragement and promotion of art in a way that becomes an essential part of its legacy, which I hope this would be.” The 80s was a period of an economic boom globally, and The Bahamas was not left behind; there was also an explosion in the creative arts. The generation that had been emancipated in the 70s inspired the next to strive for different goals and, as history has proven, only a nation
with a certain amount of leisure, time and money can seed the growth of an organic art scene. Sir William noted that, while people who had achieved economic success were purchasing objects such as cars, clothes, and other accoutrements, art was not yet in the schema of markers of success and while many Bahamians had achieved economic success in traditional fields, artists were still struggling. Artist Antonius Roberts—a teacher at Government High School, at the time—was commissioned to develop and implement an art programme, specifically directed at young Bahamians under the age of 26, to provide them with a platform to show their talents. An annual art exhibition and prize for both high school students, and also for artists under the age of 26 in an Open Category competition, was announced. The winners of the contest would receive a cash prize and have their work enter the Central Bank collection. The high school winner would receive a tertiary level scholarship to The College of The Bahamas, while the Open Category first prize would be awarded a solo exhibition. An independent panel of judges was appointed each year, including different experts that allowed for the appreciation of various formats and expressions, eventually creating a fuller, broader and diverse vista on the Bahamian art scene. The Governor’s Choice Award (GC) still allows for guidance under the current Governor’s vision. In the words of Sir William, “I threw a ball at him [Roberts]; he grabbed it with both hands and ran far with it.” As Roberts’ recalls, “Prior to the expansion of the Bank to include the
“Gallery,” which originally was intended by Governor Allen to include the display of coins, the works submitted for competition were displayed over a three-day period, from Wednesday to Friday, around the veranda of the building. I painfully remember going to the Bank 7:30 in the mornings to display all submissions, returning at 4:00 p.m. to take down and secure pieces over the three-day period. It was not until the completion of the gallery, in 1990, that the art program was expanded to include monthly art exhibitions to help launch the career of aspiring artists.” The introduction of the annual exhibition also meant that the Central Bank collected consistently and thereby covered the development of art throughout a significant period. It also brought wider public attention to what had been a more internal endeavour to-date, thus making a public statement about the importance of art and artists to the community.
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Ricardo Knowles, Two Boys, Acrylic on canvas, 1985
RICARDO KNOWLES
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Ricardo Knowles, Hope Town Rescue, Acrylic on canvas
Ricardo Knowles, Over the Hill, Acrylic on canvas, 1983
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ANTONIUS ROBERTS
Antonius Roberts, Boys With A Box, Acrylic on canvas, 1984
Antonius Roberts, Celebration, Acrylic on canvas, 1995
“The artistic landscape in The Bahamas would not be where it is today without an initiative such as the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ art program. When I was a teen, the Central Bank served as a gallery, museum, award platform, and gathering place for myself and for many of my peers. The program encouraged artistic dialogue that expanded beyond the high school classroom, fostering the early beginning of critical dialogue within the framework of contemporary art in The Bahamas. I feel encouraged that the Central Bank’s art program has the potential to produce more artists fit for national and international acclaim.” Lavar Munroe
FROM HERE TO THERE
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
FROM HERE TO THERE
During the 80s, many artists came to public attention through the competition and the shows, such as Chan Pratt, Ricardo Knowles and Roberts himself, all now considered masters of their field. Younger artists like, John Beadle, Nicole and Roshanne Minnis, Dorman Stubbs, Lillian Blades, Jessica Maycock Colebrooke, Tavares Strachan, Kishan Munroe and Lavar Munroe have been recipients of art prizes and or scholarships from the Central Bank. These and other artists are presently practicing art professionally, in The Bahamas and or internationally. Additionally, internationally respected professors and curators, like Dr. Erica James and Dr. Krista Thompson, have been recognized for their artistic talents while competing in the high school category of the Central Bank’s Annual Art Competition. Since the Central Bank commenced its activity so early in the nation’s history, there are very few collections with such longevity. The accrual of works through the Governors’ own drive, as well as the competition, creates an arc of the history of Bahamian art, giving an in-depth view into the development of artists over the course of their careers. In this section, the viewer can see the stylistic development of several artists from different generations who have now entered the art historical canon. Ricardo Knowles, otherwise known as ‘Cardo,’ is represented by an early work Over the Hill (1983), pre-dating the competition, in which his treatment of the city’s historic area is approached in a desolate, surreal manner, with an unusual, unnatural use of colour. In a later work from the 90s, he has fully developed the style for which he later became known. Labelled “The Bahamian Impressionist”, due to
his gestural brushstrokes—reminiscent of those French Masters from the late 19th century, such as Cezanne and Gaugin—Cardo also painted a similar subject matter: normal people involved in their daily tasks and their simple domiciles, such as illustrated in Hope Town Rescue.
and one close to the Haitian-Bahamian artist’s personal history. The piece explores Petit’s mixed ancestry, the struggle to come to terms with one’s roots and the bestial analogies that bigots/racists might make concerning our citizens of recent immigrant parentage.
Antonius Roberts, meanwhile, also reveals a vast change in his style: from a realistic representation of his surroundings, as in Boys with Box (1984), to a more emotional and spiritual interpretation of them, using an abstract stroke and an emotional use of colour, as evinced in Celebration (1995). Antonius Roberts, “Thirty-one years later, the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ commitment to the arts continues to have a significant impact on the preservation and development of art in The Bahamas ”The longevity of the Central Bank’s collection reveals examples of the range of artistic development of an even younger generation of artists, such as Jackson Petit and Lavar Munroe. Here, the visitor sees two samples of work, both of which not only show the strong early talent of both artists, their stylistic development, but also their changing approach to subject matter. Moving from traditional ideas of what art should represent—“self-portraits”, “still lifes”, as taught at art school—to subjects more in tune with the artist’s personal worldview and maturation.
In Munroe’s work we can trace a similar development of the artist using self-portraiture: from a youthful experimentation with form in My Love, My Passion, My Art (Winner-OC, 2003) to You Must Be Wondering The Type of Creature I Am (Winner-OC, 2009), in which the artist has developed his initial visual language—using a geometric form, probably taken from the Junkanoo shack and expanded—and added texture and materials, as well as dealing with a more personal subject. Munroe was selected by internationally renowned curator, Okui Enwezor, to participate in the 56th edition of what is considered the world’s most important and prestigious art event: the Venice Biennale, 2015. It is worth noting that all four of these latter works (Petit/ Munroe) were winners in either the High School or Open Category competitions and joined the collection in that manner, while the former four (Roberts/Cardo) were purchases, reflecting how the collection is assembled, not being limited to a single point of view and embracing the full range of Bahamian art development through the different methods of acquisition.
Petit’s Nature Intertwined (Winner-HS, 2001), though portraying very mundane and familiar Bahamian still-life objects (conch shell/flowers), shows an early fascination for the surreal that is further explored in his painting from a decade later, Beautiful Monsters (Winner-OC; 2011), which deals with a much more challenging topic
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PERMANENT PERMANENTCOLLECTION COLLECTION(1984-2014) (1984-2014)// //CENTRAL CENTRALBANK BANKOF OFTHE THEBAHAMAS BAHAMAS
Lavar Munroe, You Must Be Wondering What Kind of Creature I am, Mixed media, 2009
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LAVAR MUNROE
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Lavar Munroe, My Love, My Passion, My Art, Mixed media, 2003
THE EVERYDAY
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JACKSON PETIT
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Jackson Petit, Beautiful Monsters, Acrylic on canvas, 2011 THE EVERYDAY
The Central Bank’s art programme was probably the single biggest catalyst in my becoming a professional artist in The Bahamas. Coming back from university with an art degree, you wonder what you are going to do with it, and if it is at all feasible to pursue a career in art. But winning the senior category art contest in 2001 (before it was open to professional artists) gave me the confidence and gumption to give it a shot. It is in part responsible for the career I have today. Over the years, I have seen that it has had a similar impact on so many of my colleagues in the art community.� Jonathan Bethel
THE EVERYDAY HOLSTAIN BAIN DORMAN STUBBS WILLICEY TYNES KISAHN MUNROE JONATHAN BETHEL
THE EVERYDAY
This section of artistic practices by students, as well as their masters, captures the everyday lives of Bahamian people. It hints at the social, cultural and personal realities that the public have faced and how they reckon with the landscape, economics, boundaries and each other.
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Indeed, the longevity and diversity of the collection also showcases a way of life that is rapidly changing in the capital island of New Providence and the city of Nassau; the loss of Haitian and Bahamian sloops and the reduced frequency of regattas (Taylor, Bahamian Sloops), bygone practices like washing in iron tubs and other losses from our old ways, are however still visible in the Family Islands (as in Minnis’, Out Island Scene and Yellow Shutters, 2008, or Holston Bain’s, Island Home with Beach View, 1998). Some losses may have been accidental—such as the destruction of the old Straw Market by fire (see Jonathan Bethel, The Straw Market, Winner, OC, 2001)—though many are simply the change in our way of living. These traditions are both recorded and memorialised through the works of the Central Bank collection. Holston Bain, Island Homes, Acrylic on canvas, 1998
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
We see traditional scenes, such as ocean baptisms (Dorman Stubbs, Baptism, 1986), clusters of clapboard houses (Max Taylor, Local Scene, c. 1970), an early sunrise on the water (Willicey Tynes, Sunrise, 2002), while making an early start to bring in the day’s catch (Kishan Munroe, Prying Eyes, Winner-OC, 1999), though many of these typical views are less common today.
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WILLICEY TYNES
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Dorman Stubbs, Baptism, Acrylic on canvas
Willicey Tynes, Sunrise, Oil on canvas, 2002
DORMAN STUBBS
THE EVERYDAY
THE EVERYDAY PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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KISHAN MUNROE
JONATHAN BETHEL
Jonathan Bethel, Straw Market Fire, Acrylic on canvas, 2001
Kishan Munroe, Prying Eyes, Oil on canvas, 1999
“When I was in college, I distinctly remember the anticipation and excitement I, and my fellow art students, felt when the announcement to submit works to the Central Bank’s Student Art Competition was published in the newspaper. … This was the only art competition of its kind in The Bahamas for many years and it was highly sought after – primarily because winners received much needed cash prizes and the winning works would be added to the Bank’s distinguished art collection. … This 31-year holistic support of the whole Bahamian art community underscores the vision, consideration and respect the Bank has had towards the creative sector. Through their competitions and art grants, they have been leading the way in recognising and supporting the great wealth of potential imbued in a whole generation of Bahamian artists. I am a benefactor several times over of their largesse; I am proud of their record and hope that more corporate citizens would follow their impressive lead in supporting Bahamian art – the next greatest industry this country has ever seen.” Dionne Benjamin-Smith
LINE & FORM DIONNE BENJAMIN-SMITH JAMIE BETHEL JAVOT TE BETHEL MARVIN FINLAYSON SHAMMOND HANNAH DYLAN MILES RIC ARDO MOXEY KURT RITCHIE ERMA SAUNDERS ERINN TRECO JOSEPH SWEETING
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LINE & FORM
The widespread reach of the national competitions also gives the collection its diversity. As well as paintings, visitors can see also part of an extensive collection of etching, photography and, most of all, drawings as this is often the way many young artists first approach the production of art: oil, acrylics and canvas are expensive, pencils and paper less so. This does not diminish from the work, however: Erma Saunders’ pencil drawing won HS first prize the 1988, while Jospeh Sweeting’s fruit salad came in 3rd in 2010. This use of materials also speaks to the economic factor of art production, with which the Central Bank prizes help. Many students have spoken about the psychological encouragement that the prize gives them and the financial assistance that the Central Bank has offered in the development of their practise. In this section, the viewer can see the very trace of the artist’s hand and also the beginnings of many wellknown artists. The section also includes work by (in alphabetical order): Dionne Benjamin-Smith; Jamie Bethel; Javotte Bethel; Marvin Finlayson; Shammond Hannah; Dylan Miles; Ricardo Moxey; Kurt Ritchie; Erma Saunders; Erinn Treco and Joseph Sweeting.
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Dionne Benjamin-Smith, Dancer Series, Mixed media, 1990
SHAMMOND HANNAH
LINE & FORM
DYLAN MILES
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Shammond Hannah, Sea Urchin, Pencil on paper, 1980
Dylan Miles, Lusca Attacks Drunken Sailor, Graphite on paper, 2013
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
KURT RITCHIE Jamie Bethel, Market Scene, Ink on paper, 1993
Kurt Ritchie, Through the Arch, Graphite on paper
JAMIE BETHEL
LINE & FORM
JAVOTTE BETHEL
LINE & FORM
ERMA SAUNDERS
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Javotte Bethel, Still Life, Graphite on paper, 1992
Erma Saunders, School Assembly/Young Girls, Graphite on paper, 1988
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
OTIS FORBES Marvin Finlayson, Untitled, Photograph
Otis Forbes, Natural Beauty, Photograph
MARVIN FINALYSON
LINE & FORM
LINE & FORM
RICARDO MOXEY
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Ricardo Moxey, Man In Yard, Colored Pencils on paper, 1993
Ricardo Moxey, Man Fishing, Colored pencils on paper, 1993
Ricardo Moxey, Flamingoes, Colored pencils on paper, 1993
LINE & FORM
ERINN TRECO
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JOSEPH SWEETING
Erinn Treco, African Woman, Acrylic on canvas, 2008
Joseph Sweeting, Fruit Salad, Colored pencils on paper, 2010
, “The art show at the Central Bank of The Bahamas really helped to launch my career in art. I started competing at age 14, and it encouraged me to start producing professional work while still in high school. It gave me the validation and exposure I needed at the time to become a serious artist. I am forever grateful.� Roshanne Minnis Eyma
FIGURES ROSHANNE MINNIS R. BRENT MALONE NICOLE MINNIS JAVOT TE BETHEL JONATHAN BETHEL OTIS FORBES Y VET TE BALFOUR SYMONE HALL KISHAN MUNROE DR. GAIL SAUNDERS
FIGURES
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Just as the collection reflects our built and natural environment, so too it reflects our people (Yvette Balfour, Island Girl, 1994), and captures the essence of our diverse society, with images that relate to our national pastimes (R. Brent Malone, Junkanoo Cowbeller, 1984) and our different moods (Diane Cooper, Contemplation, 1991; Otis Forbes, No Regret, 1991). Social realities are also scrutinized (from a male point of view in a comfortable middle class home, such as in Judson Eneas’, Portrait of a Man, 2009, replete with good furniture and art on the walls) to a more bleak female reality, as seen in Javotte Bethel’s, No Hope for Tomorrow, in which a young pregnant woman, standing by a simple clapboard house, carries an infant on her back. In this section we can also see a creative use of materials, from attaching objects to the canvas, like the natural elements in Dr. Gail Saunders’, Spongers, (1974) or the use of collage to underscore the subject matter, as in Kishan Munroe’s, Feel Sketchy and Incomplete, (2003) to moving beyond the canvas, as in Symone Hall’s, Symone 3 (GC Award, 2013), in which the artist constructs a support structure from wood, creating a 3D painting of sorts. This hangs alongside a Brent Malone, one of the fathers of Bahamian, showing the vast range of the collection, from students to masters. Our society is also reflected in generations from the mature masters such as Minnis the Elder, to the current generation, as seen in Nicole Minnis’, Playtime, (1989) and Roshanne Minnis’, Boy with Coconut. The Minnis daughters followed their father’s footsteps but, whereas Eddie specialized in painting our land and streetscapes, his daughters focused more on people and their activities.
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Roshanne Minnis, Boy With Coconut, Pastel on paper, 1988
R. BRENT MALONE
FIGURES
NICOLE MINNIS
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R. Brent Malone, Junkanoo Cowbeller, Oil on canvas, 1984
Nicole Minnis, Playtime, Oil on canvas, 1989
FIGURES
JAVOTTE BETHEL
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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OTIS FORBES
Javotte Bethel, No Hope for Tomorrow, Acrylic on canvas, 1993
Otis Forbes, No Regret, Acrylic on canvas, 1991
YVETTE BALFOUR
FIGURES
SYMONE HALL
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Yvette Balfour, Island Girl, Soft pastels, 1994
Symone Hall, Symone 3, Oil pastels and graphite on wood, 2013
THE 80S BOOM
KISHAN MUNROE
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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DR. GAIL SAUNDERS
Kishan Munroe, Feeling Sketchy and Incomplete, Mixed media, 2003
Dr. Gail Saunders, Spongers, sponge and acrylic on canvas, 1974
JUDSON PICOT ENEAS DIANE COOPER
FIGURES PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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Judson Picot Eneas, Portrait of a Man, Acrylic on canvas 2009
Diane Cooper, Contemplation, Acrylic on canvas 1991
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE 80S BOOM
Nicole Minnis
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“I really appreciated the Central Bank’s Art competition. The exhibition helped me to see what my peers were doing and the positive feedback on my work gave me the incentive to make a career of art.”
“An indescribable feeling of excitement and nostalgia overwhelms me whenever I enter a Central Bank Competition; especially when I enter with my peers who happen to be really good artists. It’s a space where you are inspired to be at your best ... an arena where you bring your war paint.” Jace Mckinney
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO JACE MCKINNEY OMAR WILLIAMS RYAN TURNQUEST DERECK PAUL PERCY ‘ VOLA’ FRANCIS MYRIAM C AMPBELL ABBY SMITH ERIC ELLIS LEO BROWN BURNSIDE, BEADLE, BURNSIDE JOHN BEADLE DR. ERIC A JAMES ITALIA WILLIAMS RICKENO BULLARD MONIQUE ROLLE LISA ALBURY
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
In the early days of Bahamian art, local artists were influenced by the techniques and subjects being practised by expatriates and foreigners who came to our shores; these generally were oils and watercolours depicting beautiful, placid landscapes. As the nation developed, Bahamian art also developed, finding a voice that connected back to its African roots, learned by many artists through Junkanoo, most easily identified as the annual parade that takes place on Boxing Day night and New Year’s Eve on Bay Street in Nassau and also throughout the Family Islands. A raucous procession of costumes, music and dancing, Junkanoo has deep roots in the community, in everyday lives, and in history that are far more than the end result of pure revelry. It was established in the slavery period when, for one day of the year (December 26th, the day after Christmas Day), free time was awarded to leave the estates and permission was given to visit family members on other ones, celebrating with music and costumes. The festival resonates deeply as it connects directly to African heritage and the ingrained tradition remained after emancipation, after which Junkanoo evolved from its simple origins to a formal, more organised parade with “groups” wearing themed, intricate costumes and competing for cash prizes. Today’s costumes—which are designed and built in local workshops called “shacks”—are created from crêpe paper on a cardboard support and use bright colours, applying very particular ideas of contrast, shape. The activity in the shacks continues all year—selection of a theme, designing and engineering the costumes, building, pasting—and it’s very much a community-based activity, teaching values of
precision, dedication and commitment. While it has long been considered a “craft,” Junkanoo is, in fact, an art form of the highest calibre and many young Bahamians will have their first artistic experience in their neighbourhood shack. The sculpture here, by Jace McKinney (Winner-OC, 2012), draws heavily on this influence; the apparatus the figure is wearing is, in fact, the structure worn to support the final costume and the glitter, fringing, and “tricks” (golden beads, etc.) are all techniques used to make the costumes more attractive. McKinney uses this to adorn instruments of labour, questioning Where Is He Going? Where Has He been? He seeks to address our past and the present disconnect from traditional instruments of manual labour, resulting in a growing reliance on foreign food imports and immigrant workers. As seen in the former section, Brent Malone often painted images from Junkanoo and that body of work was one of the steps that legitimized the festival as an art form. As Bahamians became more confident in their traditional expression, painters and sculptors also began to experiment in bringing this very particular language into their work, blending the very European concept of oil landscape painting with the African traditions of festival and sculpture. The result is a uniquely Bahamian voice that reflects our mixed cultural heritage, Europe and Africa. Notable proponents of this were the brothers Jackson Burnside and Stan Burnside who, after coming back from college in the Unites States, created a new painterly language that reflected Bahamian life and the existence in the shacks.
The brothers influenced a great number of artists, but probably their greatest mentee was John Beadle and eventually they worked together—in a group they called Jammin’ (an example of which is on show here)—to create collaborative works that took the movement, colour and collaborative spirit of Junkanoo into their canvases.
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PERMANENT PERMANENTCOLLECTION COLLECTION(1984-2014) (1984-2014)// //CENTRAL CENTRALBANK BANKOF OFTHE THEBAHAMAS BAHAMAS
Jace McKinney, Where Has He Been, Where Is He Going?, Mixed media, 2012
OMAR WILLIAMS
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
DERECK PAUL
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Omar Williams, Secret Garden, Acrylic on canvas, 1997
Dereck Paul, The Prodigy II: Wisdom is known by her children, mixed media, 1996
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
PERCY ‘VOLA’ RYAN FRANCIS TURNQUEST Ryan Turnquest, Scream, Mixed media, 2003
Percy Vola Francis, Junkanoo Faces, Acrylic on canvas, 1997
MYRIAM CAMBPBELL
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
ABBY SMITH
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Myriam Campbell, Independence Day, Mixed media, 1998
Abby Smith, Reflections of A Sinner, Acrylic on canvas, 2005
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
LEO BROWN ERIC ELLIS Eric Ellis, Junkanoo Sax, Mixed media, 1994
Leo Brown, Energy, Acrylic on canvas, 1998
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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As the Bahamian art scene was strengthening, so was Central Bank’s commitment: Governor James Smith expanded the High School category and went so far as to provide funding for students who could not afford to frame their submissions. Furthermore, by 1991 the extension to the building was completed with a reception area, on the corner of Market and Trinity, which allowed for a dedicated gallery space. Under Governor Smith the gallery hosted world class exhibitions, such as retrospectives of both Amos Ferguson and Brent Malone, as well as the first show of the newly-formed group of artists B-C.A.U.S.E (Bahamian Creative Artists United for Serious Expression), consisting of Antonius Roberts, Max Taylor, Stan Burnside, Jackson Burnside and John Beadle. Not only a location for exhibitions of Bahamian artists, it also hosted international artists, becoming a hub of artistic activity and scholarship. While Beadle was a close collaborator of the Burnsides, this is not where their influence ended; in the 80s, Stan Burnside was an art teacher at the College of The Bahamas and influenced a whole generation of artists—many of them in this selection—including Dionne BenjaminSmith, Erica James, Monique Rolle and Eric Ellis, and others, not exhibited here, such as Clive Stuart and Jolyon
Smith. While some artists, such as Ellis and Bruno Glinton, show the actual procession itself, many others (Ryan Turnquest, Durando Pinder, Rickeno Bullard, Monique Rolle, Omar Williams, Miriam Campbell) engage with the feel, colour and texture of Junkanoo in their canvases, translating the spirit and also implementing the use of diverse materials in the canvases; and some, such as Percy “Vola” Francis, grew to be actual leaders of some of the nation’s most outstanding Junkanoo groups. Junkanoo is more than the festival, however. It is a return to the roots, a call to listen to ancestral spirits and, in this room we also see works that connect to its spiritual aspect, in an appreciation for colour and nature (Damaso Gray, Dereck Paul, Lisa Albury and Italia Williams) and in reflecting the energy that courses through the world and our bodies (Leo Brown). Our intense spirituality, of the Christian kind, is also reflected in this section, in works by Abby Smith—with a nod to Antonius Robert’s “spiritual abstraction”—and Erica James, in a work dealing with transformation and transcendence, though even here Junkanoo leaves its mark in vibrant colour and a very imaginative use of fabric and textures.
“After high school, the Central Bank Exhibition gave me an art centric focus. The exhibition and competition became one of the main motivators to me building my artistic skill set... I wanted to win. I set out gathering the tools and honing those to do so. Ironically, it was the competition that forced me to realize the importance of art being a means for personal expression and it not being a competition. With this new insight and focus, I won... A few times! The funds that came with winning and placing in the competition were a part of the first set of personal funds that went toward my formal art education abroad.” John Beadle
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Burnside, Beadle, Burnside, To and Fro, Mixed media, 1992 THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
DR. ERICA JAMES
JOHN BEADLE
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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John Beadle, Clap Han for Mama | History… Knowledge is Root, Mixed media, 1988
Erica Moiah James, Baptism Day, Mixed media, 1991
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
ITALIAM WILLIAMS
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RICKENO BULLARD
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Italia Williams, From A Distance, Acrylic on canvas, 2001
Rickeno Bullard, Queen’s Staircase, Acrylic on canvas, 2000
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
LISA ALBURY
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Monique Rolle, Frolic, Mixed media, 1988
Lisa Albury, Nightmares, Mixed media, 1992
MONIQUE ROLLE
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE SOURCE: JUNKANOO
Dr. Erica James
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“Growing up, winning the Central Bank Art Competition was viewed as a right of passage for anyone who wanting to be taken seriously in the arts. Only after I won it, did I feel confident enough to call myself “Artist.”
“The Central Bank of The Bahamas, in my opinion, is one of the largest contributors to artists in the nation. … The Bank’s Art Program has a strong family of supporters and I feel honored to have met those individuals committed to developing the Bahamian Art movement.” Jordanna Kelly
THE FUTURES ANGELIK A WALLACE-WHITFIELD OMAR RICHARDSON KEISHA OLIVER LAVAR MUNROE JACE MCKINNEY JORDANNA KELLY JALAN HARRIS IVANNA GAITOR SAMUEL JENNINGS JULIUS TINKER CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON JEFFREY MERRIS BOBBY TELUSNORD PIAGET MOSS UNKNOWN
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The High School prize continues to encourage our young would-be artists, while the Open Category prize recognises future greats early in their career. The tradition was supported and continued by later and current Governors, Mr. Julian Francis and Mrs. Wendy Craigg, under the latter; the College of The Bahamas Graduate Exhibition was established, providing a platform for the graduating class of emerging practitioners. Governor Craigg states, “Since the Bank’s inaugural Art Competition and Exhibition, all successive Governors have valued this signature opportunity for nurturing, recognizing and celebrating the creativity, imagination and innovation of our nation’s youth through the arts. The Bank’s sponsorship of this event is grounded in its belief that the visual arts play a meaningful role in the development of our nation—teaching us how to be expressive, sensitive to our environment, how to reason and analyse—and through these processes, contributing positively to character building. We applaud all those who have embraced this opportunity; we are proud of you, and are forever grateful to you for sharing your gifts with our nation!” This final section points into a new direction that some Bahamian artists are heading and reflects 21st century contemporary movements: the work can be experimental, abstract, performance-based but also, highly politicised. Even at the High School level, we see strong statements: the powder-keg that is state of Bahamian-Haitian relations in Man Without a Country (Alton Joseph, winner HS, 2013), and commentary on the Political Dialogue (Ebony Miller, 2nd place, HS, 2013). Open category winners both deal with the hollow myth of paradise, both lost (Omar Richardson Lost in a Forgotten Paradise, 2010) and “found” (Jace McKinney, Columbus, A Fairytale by Washington Irving, 2014). Mixed media and concepts of “expanded painting” (i.e. extending beyond the picture plane) are utilised in works such as Bobby Telusnord’s Elijah Obed (Honourable Mention-HS, 2013), Alton Jospeh’s African Dichotomy (Winner-HS, 2014) and Julius Tinker’s Lineage (2nd place-OC, 2014), as well as Angelika Wallace-Whitfiled’s Untitled and Piaget Moss’ delicate collages. Beauty still
has its place, though approached from a different angle, in works by Keisha Oliver, Jordanna Kelly, Allan P. Wallace and Lavar Munroe, while abstraction is approached in two very disparate ways, with the dripping gesture of Lanny Harris or the precise geometry of Ivanna Gaitor. Probably one of the more significant pieces in recent years for a myriad of reasons—the artist’s biography, the confluence of the Bank’s history with that of the nation, the work’s inherent meaning—is Jeffrey Meris’ cabinet (winner, OC 2013), Dis We Tea Party. Meris is a Bahamian whose mother fled Haiti during the Papa Doc era; growing up in impoverished circumstances, his haven was the Gaza Shack in Mason’s Addition, where he became one of the lead designers for the Junkanoo group One Family (co-founded by Jackson Burnside). Having attended College of The Bahamas, he was accepted to the prominent Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia on the strength of his Junkanoo portfolio and, now graduated, is the first in his family to have received a university degree. The piece, Dis We Tea Party, was made for the 2013 competition which coincided with the nation’s 40th anniversary (1973-2013), and was exhibited in a solo show and performance the following year, coinciding then with the Bank’s 40th anniversary (1974-2014). For the piece, Meris hand-made 40 pottery teacups, created through intense labour on a kick-wheel (i.e., without electricity). He invited 40 Bahamians—of different colours, races, heritages, and socio-economic backgrounds— individually to tea to discuss “What is a Bahamian?” and to answer questions that dealt with issues of labour, value, exchange and economy. Each invitee was asked to bring a teacup (or mug) that had value to them—emotional or monetary—and to tell its story. After the tea and conversation, the cups were exchanged. Here in the cabinet, in all its variety, is a reflection of 21st century Bahamian society, reflecting our diversity just as it is reflected in the Central Bank’s broad and varied art collection.
Angelika Wallace-Whitfield, Untitled, Mixed media,
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
THE FUTURES
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OMAR RICHANSON
THE FUTURES
KEISHA OLIVER
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Omar Richardson, Lost In a Forgotten Paradise, Print Making, 2010
Keisha Oliver, Visions, Watercolor on paper, 2002
THE FUTURES
LAVAR MUNROE
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JACE MCKINNEY
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Lavar Munroe, Free Yourself, Acrylic on canvas, 2006
Jace McKinney, Columbus, A Fairytale by Washington Irving, 2014
JORDANN KELLY
THE FUTURES
JALAN HARRIS
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Jordanna Kelly, The Beauty Within, Phototransfer and Acrylic on canvas, 2014
Jalan Harris, Luna, Acrylic on canvas, 2014
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
SAMUEL JENNINGS Ivanna Gaitor, Untitled 3, Acrylic on canvas, 2014
Ian Jennings, Iron Fist, Acrylic on canvas 2010
IVANNA GAITOR
THE FUTURES
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
CHRISTOPHER JULIUS THOMPSON TINKER
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Julius Tinker, Lineage, Mixed media, 2014
Christopher John, Untitled, Mixed media, ND
THE FUTURES
THE FUTURES
JEFFREY MERIS
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BOBBY TELUSNORD
PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Jeffrey Meris, Dis We Tea Party, Mixed media installation, 2013
Bobby Telusnord, Elijah Obed, Mixed media, 2012
THE FUTURES
PIAGET MOSS
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PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
Piaget Moss, Present, Mixed media, 2014
Piaget Moss, Lasting Impressions, Mixed media, 2014
THE FUTURES PERMANENT COLLECTION (1984-2014) // CENTRAL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS
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ALTON JOSEPH
Alton Joseph, African Dichotomy, Mixed media on wood, 2014
Alton Joseph, African Dichotomy, Mixed media on wood, 2014
Celebrating 40 Years of The Central Bank - A Pillar of Arts Comittment Excerpts From The Central Bank’s Permanent Art Collection