The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is launching an online exhibition to spotlight the creativity of artists and members of the public who have turned to making art as a means of expression during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This exhibition seeks to provide a platform for this creativity and in doing so inspire the community as we continue to collectively grapple with the short and long-term effects of the pandemic.
As the community has come together to support one another, to give generously to those in need and make collective sacrifices to overcome this pandemic, we have had a glimpse of the true #CaymanKind character of these Islands and of the generosity and determination of the Caymanian spirit. We have also witnessed the remarkable creativity of our arts community. From family living rooms to children’s bedrooms, garages to back yards, Cayman’s artists have been finding innovative ways to adapt their workspaces to these new conditions and to channel their feelings through the medium of the visual arts.
By bringing these artworks together for the public, the exhibition offers both a portrait of an extraordinary moment in our history, as captured through the eyes of artists, and a chance to celebrate the life-affirming power of art and creativity in the darkest of moments.
The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ (NGCI) new online exhibition series will showcase the work of local artists via NGCI’s website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/whats-on/exhibitions/. The inaugural exhibition will explore “creativity in lockdown” and has a wide degree of latitude that will allow for diverse and varied expression across a full range of creative media. Selected artwork will feature in a three-month long online exhibition via the National Gallery’s website, which will be supported by a programme of Artist Talks, virtual panel discussions and Zoom events.
This exhibition is open to all residents in the Cayman Islands. Please submit one high-resolution photograph of an artwork that has been created over the past two months during the current lockdown period. A maximum of one work per artist will be considered. All submissions should be accompanied by a brief artist’s statement about the prospective work.
All images and text must be provided in electronic format only and directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@nationalgallery.org.ky by Monday June 11th. Submissions must be accompanied by:
1. A high-resolution image of the proposed work sized 1MB or above
2. Artwork information (Your name, artwork title, date, medium and a description of 100 words or less)
3. Link to your website if applicable
The exhibition will run from June 15th until August 2020.
The NGCI Education Department has been busy developing cross curricular lesson plans and art activities three times weekly throughout lockdown. We are currently seeking teachers and artists who are interested in helping develop these resources for families and schools, and to host virtual art classes, over the coming months, for an hourly honorarium. For more information about how to apply to become an instructor, please email: education@nationalgallery.org.ky.
Our new Artist Talks series, which profiles local artists at home, will continue running until July with posts twice weekly. For information about how to participate in the new NGCI Artist Talks series please email: collections@nationalgallery.org.ky or to view the series visit: https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/blog/.
The National Gallery is working with stakeholders to explore the development of an Artist Relief Fund for artists who have lost their primary source of income. We will be sharing more details about the grant and how to apply in early June. To receive information via email please contact: administration@nationalgallery.org.ky.
Extensive work has been carried out by the NGCI Team over the past two months to digitise the NGCI archive of exhibitions and education resources, in addition to uploading the National Gallery Art Collection onto our website with artists bios for over 100 local artists. Visit https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/see/ or see daily collection highlights via @natgalcayman #ngcicollection.
If you missed our current Island of Women exhibition before lockdown, take a virtual tour of this show and support the 26 featured local artists: https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/see/virtual-tours/
Finally, thank you to everyone who recently completed our NGCI COVID19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creatives. We are currently converting the data into a report that will be published via the NGCI website. Your feedback will directly impact our COVID relief programming (Business of Art) and also be shared with policy makers and funding organisations. If you’d like to receive a copy of this report via email please email administration@nationalgallery.org.ky.
About the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands
Established in 1996, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is the country’s leading visual arts museum and education centre, charged with promoting and encouraging the appreciation and practice of the visual arts in the Cayman Islands. This mission is achieved through exhibitions, education/outreach programmes, school tours, community festivals, and ongoing research projects. Holding up to six exhibitions annually at our central exhibition space, and satellite venues around Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, the curatorial team strives to create a balance between exhibitions of quality Caymanian artwork with art from further afield. This is achieved by working with a broad cross-section of artists and ranging from site-specific work to more traditional gallery-based projects.
NGCI is at the forefront of visual arts education in the Cayman Islands hosting 25+ education and outreach programmes monthly, across all three islands. These programmes aim to capture every age group in our community from the youngest pre-schoolers to senior citizens, in addition to marginalized members of our community. They combine arts education with enriching creative experiences which foster creativity, help build self-esteem, and provide effective and invaluable explorations of culture, cultural heritage, national identity and community values.
Comments (0)
We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.