Hylton Nembhard (1950-2011)
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The National Gallery of Jamaica regrets the passing of Jamaican artist Hylton Nembhard (1950-2011). This is our tribute to him, with thanks to Herman van Asbroeck for images of his recent work.
Hylton Nembhard (1950-2012) received early training at the Junior Centre of the Institute of Jamaica and later attended the Jamaica School of Art, now the Edna Manley College. He exhibited regularly over the years, starting with the Festival Fine Arts exhibition in the 1960s and the NGJ’s Annual National in the 1970s. He also exhibited his work at the Bolivar Gallery and Amaicraft.
Nembhard’s earlier work consisted of figurative woodcarvings, in local woods such as lignumvitae and cedar, but more recently he worked inventively with recuperated materials, especially sheet metal, which he hammered into relief shapes, combined with fibers and sometimes also painted.
The A.D. Scott Collection
Barrington Watson - portrait of A.D. Scott (c1969), A.D. Scott Collection, NGJ
For some time now, the NGJ has been refurbishing and reinstalling its permanent collections and in 2010 we started work on the modern Jamaican section, “Jamaican Art: the 20th Century”. We have now continued this process and incorporated into this section a gallery with selections from the A.D. Scott Collection, a major group of donations to the NGJ that provide a vivid picture of Jamaican art in the post-Independence decades. Scott was very actively involved in the art of that period, by means of the Contemporary Jamaican Artists’ Association, which he chaired for many, his friendships with Barrington Watson, Eugene Hyde and Karl Parbooshingh, and the 1974 establishment of the Olympia International Art Centre. With the Barrington Watson retrospective currently on view, until April 14, and the Jamaica 50 observations in progress, we could not think of a better moment to open this new section of our permanent exhibitions. Here is more about A.D. Scott and the A.D. Scott Collection:
Ainsworth David Scott, OD (1912-2004)
A.D. Scott, or ‘Scotty” as he was affectionately referred to by those familiar with him, was born in Kingston, Jamaica on January 27, 1912. A.D. Scott was among the first to attend the Kingston College which was established in 1925.
Later, he studied at the McGill University in Montreal, Canada, gaining a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering. Whilst in Canada, he further developed his skills as a highly competent engineer, securing key positions including Senior Assistant Engineer in the Royal Canadian Air Force and engineer-in-charge of Aerodrome Construction for the Canadian Government. Upon his return to Jamaica in 1945, he was appointed engineer-in-charge of construction for the University College of the West Indies. His later contributions to national infrastructural development would include the construction of the U.W.I Chapel, the National Stadium and the Hope Reservoir, earning him the title of Jamaican Master Builder.
Happy New Year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT THE NGJ!
(Photo: Olivia McGilchrist)
Upcoming: Barrington: A Retrospective (January 8-April 14, 2012)
The National Gallery of Jamaica is pleased to present Barrington: A Retrospective, an exhibition of more than 250 paintings, drawings and original prints by Jamaican master artist Professor the Hon. Barrington Watson, OJ. The exhibition is scheduled to open on January 8, 2012 and its main part will be on view at the National Gallery until April 14, with smaller annex exhibitions at the Bank of Jamaica and the Olympia International Art Centre, both in Kingston. The guest speaker at the January 8 opening function will be Sir Shridath Ramphal, GCMG, OCC, OE, OM, former Commonwealth Secretary-General and Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. The exhibition is the first on the NGJ’s calendar of events for Jamaica 50.
Self-Portrait, 1987, Collection: Michael Lee Chin
Offset: Art Publishing in the Caribbean
The National Gallery of Jamaica in association with ARC Magazine and Caribbean InTransit is pleased to announce Offset: Art Publishing in the Caribbean, the joint launch of ARC Magazine Issue IV and the second issue of the new academic publication Caribbean InTransit. This event will take place at the National Gallery of Jamaica on Saturday, December 10, from 1:30 pm to 4pm.
To introduce the launch, the NGJ has developed a discussion panel that will focus on the opportunities and challenges involved in art journal publishing across the Anglophone Caribbean and its Diaspora. The panel includes the editor and co-founder of ARC Magazine, Holly Bynoe, Marielle Barrow, founder and director of Caribbean InTransit, Keino Senior and Carol “Annie” Hamilton, editors of the new Edna Manley College journal Jonkunnu, Kim Robinson, editor of Jamaica Journal and Annie Paul contributing editor of Small Axe; the panel will be moderated by Veerle Poupeye, executive director of the National Gallery of Jamaica.
The panel and launch, which will be followed by a reception, will be held at the National Gallery of Jamaica, which is located at 12 Ocean Blvd, Block C, Kingston (entrance on Orange Street). The event is free and open to the public. Copies of ARC IV, Caribbean InTransit 2 and back issues of both publications will be available for purchase.
This event is sponsored, with kind support, by the National Gallery of Jamaica, George Mason University and the Ministry of Culture of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
UPDATE 21/12/2011: Video footage and sound-recording now available:
Sound cloud – Opening statements
Video of Q&A – part I:
Video of Q&A – part II
Barrington Watson Lecture – October 13, 2011
On Thursday, October 13, 2011, the Jamaican master artist Barrington Watson presented a major public lecture at the NGJ. This lecture was presented as part of the Rex Nettleford Arts Conference, a project of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts on which the NGJ collaborated.
We are now pleased to present video footage of the lecture:
Part 1
Part 2
Selected Questions
