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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