By Lindsey Turnbull
The opening night of a new art show at The Ritz-Carlton Art Gallery was well attended last week, a collaboration of 61 local artists featuring around 300 pieces including paintings, photographs, sculpture, mixed-media artwork and more, all celebrated under the collective theme of ‘Whimsical Cayman’.
The featured artist of the show is Renate Seffer, a well-established local artist whose use of bold strokes, colourful palette and whimsical and often humorous studies of everyday life are a brilliant springboard that sets the stage for the entire exhibition.
The opening night took place on Tuesday 25th February, where artists and selected guests were able to view the first preview of the artwork, created by popular well-known artists as well as some younger artists new to Cayman’s art scene looking for the chance to show off their talents.
“We could not ask for a better mix of artists,” Chris Christian, Director at The Ritz-Carlton Art Gallery, said. “We have been fortunate to secure the talents of some amazing artists such as Nasaria Chollette, Al Ebanks, Gordon Solomon, Jason Kennedy, Christel Ibsen and Lorna Griggs, and they are showcasing their work alongside our new talent such as Elena McDonough, Gillis Welcome, and Andrew Christian.”
Chris says that Renate’s artwork takes centre stage at the exhibition.
“We like to rotate the featured artist slot among our established artists and this time it is Renate’s art work that is at the centre of the exhibition. Renate’s colourful paintings are always instantly recognisable and highly collectable. Her signature style often uses abstract expressionism to explore everyday scenes, such as a day at the beach or drinking from coconuts under the shade of a tree. They are always easy on the eye and are a great contemporary reflection of life in the Cayman Islands.”
New talent
Chris confirmed that an important part of the show is giving new artists the opportunity to show alongside well-known artists.
“It allows them to receive critique from more established artist and also from the public,” he advised. “Our new artists then gain a better understanding of how their artwork influences others and an appreciation of how people respond to it.”
While The Ritz-Carlton Art Gallery is a commercial enterprise and all artwork is for sale, Chris advised that the Gallery is very much committed to exposing new and up coming artists to this kind of experience, as well as providing a fantastic venue for more established local artists to showcase their work.
“That’s part of my job as the Gallery’s curator, to ensure that the artwork we showcase is a great blend of established artists and up and coming artists, using all sorts of mediums, paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media, resin pourings, among others,” Chris advised. “In this way we can offer viewers a broad range of artistic talent.”
Artists featured in this new exhibition are: Al Ebanks, Alejandro Max Padilla, Alton Hussey, Andrew Christian, Anshula Singh, Carley Jackson, Cathy Church, Charmaigne Delas Alas, Chris Christian, Chris Duty, Christel Ibsen, Cj Viggers, Courtney Platt, Elena Bozinovska, Elena McDonough, Fayona Barnes, Fiona Macfarlene, Gill Mcdonald, Gillis Welcome, Gordon Solomon, Jason Kennedy, Jerome Wilson, Jim Hellemn, John Clark, John Reno Jackson, Julie Corsetti, June Marie Robinson, Kai Parham, Kay Smith, Kaydia Gouldbourne, Kerry-Ann Brown, Kersean Ewers, Kerwin Ebanks, Kimberly Reve, Kylie Christian, Langley Ebanks, Laurel Schmid, Leemar Ebanks, Levin Vallo, Lorna Griggs, Lorna Reid, Marcia Codner, Mary Mctaggart Yates, Maureen Lazarus, Melody Protacio, Miguel Powery, Monte Lee Thornton, Nasaria Chollete, Pamela Kelly, Patricia Nicholson, Patrick Broderick, Randy Chollete, Renate Seffer, Ruby Marr, Shane Dready, Shilpa Tagalpallewar, Stephen Myers, Susannah Snowden-Smith, Tessa Hydes, Villence Buchanan, and Yonier Powery.
The exhibition will remain up for about six months, with a new exhibition opening in November of this year. Everyone is encouraged to view the exhibition and think about purchasing a piece that will go a long way to supporting local art in Cayman.
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