Business
Business
“ART UPSTAIRS”
I
f you get the opportunity to walk along the Carenage in St George’s
at the corner of Young St, next to the ‘Land’ duty free shop you’ll
walk through a charming courtyard and understand why St George’s
has been hailed as the Caribbeans’ finest exa mple of classical Georgian
architecture. Walking up the stairs to the first floor, one is greeted with
an Art Gallery aptly called, for obvious reasons - ‘Art Upstairs’. Floor
to ceiling windows aid the spectacular view of the entire Carenage and
the port opposite. One gets the distinct feeling that they have entered
a ‘Grand Dame’ of a historical building. Once used as a court room,
unique nuances still exist like the massive mahogany judge’s bench that
graces one end. Proprietor Meg Conlon warmly shares with us a sense
of the history in the Grenada Art World and the future in collecting
local art.
“In Grenada we have world class artists both foreign and local
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Meet Meg Conlon
born, classically trained and self taught, folk artists and different
artists in between. Their art is as rich as the culture it was painted
in”, declares Meg.
Many of these artists are exhibiting their talents in major museums,
and serious worldwide events. Grenada had four artists exhibiting at
the Venice Biennale, an esteemed accomplishment for a country approx
the same size as Malta. Two of the Grenadian artists at this exhibit,
Maria McClafferty and Oliver Benoit also have commissioned pieces at
‘Art Up’. Maria is a world class glass artist who did the Egyptian Court
in Harrods - London, and Oliver Benoit is in a gallery in NYC with
his abstract works. Other Grenadian artists representing in the Venice
Biennale were Susan Mains and son Asher Mains.
How did you get started in the art business?
“I started personally with the renowned Canute Calliste from Carriacou.
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