Business young Grenadian artist from Petit Martinque , she ’ s been living in China for two years getting her education there . We exhibit different artists in different media , such as sculpture , paintings and photography . Jeff Fisher has some sculptures here that are made from a hard wood ‘ purple heart ’ and stainless steel . Jeff has a lot of skill , he ’ s built boats and uses his materials very well ”.
What ’ s your new space like ?
“ I ’ m very lucky to have this space the windows are floor to ceiling , with great light and a breeze flowing through and of course unbelievalbe views of the Carenage .
The gallery is open 6 days per week from 10am-5pm , and will open for cruise ships that visit Grenada on Sundays ”.
Is art a great gift for a tourist ?
“ Absolutely , yes ! A lot of these pieces are painted on canvas- so they can easily be rolled up and tucked into a suitcase . We can even shrink wrap it for extra protection . Most of this stuff people can take with them . We do ship as well ”.
Have you plans for night time events ?
“ The space will be made available in the future for events like artist workshops , writer ’ s groups , musicians , maybe an exercise class - interesting and creative things ”.
How important is art in our culture ?
“ Very important . It informs who we are , and nurtures our soul . Art expresses reality in a very creative way .
Spirits , Obeah & Jumbies , are often depicted as a type of social commentary on a Caribbean belief system . One Grenadian artists that ’ s self taught is Dollivar Morain , who first exhibited at the Arts Council and has a natural sense of composition and color that ’ s absolutely brilliant . He ’ s from Sauteurs and paints what he knows , he paints his life , and like Canute
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A Canute Calliste painting was presented to either President Reagan or VP . Bush at that time . gifts like that usually go to the presidential library or the Smithsonian . The same with the Queen of Englandbut that was before my time
that ’ s a lifestyle that ’ s starting to disappear , ( the fisherman , farmers , rural country life ). He ’ s aware of the sociological themes like painting a mother with all of the children she can ’ t afford to feed ”.
Another local artist here that Meg feels has great potential is Gilbert Nero , working on very large paintings . Meg recalls meeting him when he was a teenager and noting “ he can really draw , bold vivid colors and strong strokes , he can really paint ”. Exhibited in Miami and other overseas venues , Nero is basically self taught but that has not stopped him having international appeal , as he ’ s “ one of the most exciting artists in Grenada right now , and he ’ s set to go places on the international market ”, believes Meg .
What of formal training in Grenada and the region ?
“ Art education is not part of the curriculum in schools- they have some at TAMCC and some at SGU , it ’ s not really serious art training . Of the art schools in the English speaking Caribbean there are only 3 in Barbados , Jamaica , and Trinidad . Artist in those countries tend to really know how to use their materials well , and a trained thinking process that a lot of our artist here have yet to learn ; some of them ( artists ) come to it intuitively . Even our artist of international stature , take classes when they can ; they originally started painting just because they had to ; developing their hand , their skills and practice , practice , practice to achieve what they did .
Funding for artists from this island to attend art schools on other islands could be a reality with funding from private donors .
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A young artist could really hone their skills , and advance to really make it big on the international market ”.
Is there really a Canute Calliste painting in the White House or is it an urban legend ?
“ A Canute Calliste painting was presented to either President Reagan or Vice President Bush ; gifts like that usually go to the presidential library or the Smithsonian . The same with the Queen of England - but that was before my time ”.
How many paintings did he do in his lifetime ?
“ That ’ s impossible to say . I can say he was very prolific . His technique was to work on 8 to 16 paintings at one time . He would cut them and then prime them with white house paint , after that dried he would paint on his horizons and then once that was dry he would paint on different scenes . Nearly always , in every series , there was at least one Mermaid ! The Carriacou Museum which features artifacts of early indigenous tribes on the island , is run by Canute ’ s daughter , Clemencia , who exhibits his work from time to time there ”.
What ’ s your advice for a budding artist ?
“ There ’ s no limit to the media ( types of art ). I would personally encourage artists to follow what they believe in ” observes Meg . “ There ’ s a lot of duality in art , so do your real paintings , what you believe in , or feel . I understand that you have to also paint to make a living , but keep that separate . Paint for the market that will selland then do your own inspired things - Richard would say this - you can do both .
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