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.
Institute of Jamaica Research Symposium on October 26
NGJ Curatorial Assistant Monique Barnett is presenting a paper on street murals in Kingston, titled Marks of Culture.
Free and open to the public – please help us to publicize this event by sharing this flyer.
EDITORIAL – One Year of Blogging
Phillip Rhoden - Orange Street (2010). The NGJ building is on the left. Phillip Rhoden, an EMC graduate in Visual Communication, is the NGJ's Graphic Designer and AV Specialist.
The National Gallery of Jamaica blog went live one year ago, on October 17, 2009, with our first post in which we outlined our intention for it to “serve as a vehicle for gallery news and information on Jamaican art and artists.” Since then, we have published 75 posts, on individual artists, most of them Jamaican, and on various NGJ projects and programmes, and we have logged more than 41,000 views. Our record day, thus far, was September 22, 2010, when we had 556 views, and our current daily average stands at 260 views. We think that these statistics are not bad at all for an institution which was a novice to social media one year ago and the experience has certainly exceeded our expectations. Read More…
Season’s Greetings from the NGJ!
The NGJ's Jamaican Christmas Tree, made by the participants in the Saturday Art Time programme.
The National Gallery of Jamaica at 35
Inside the NGJ entrance lobby
We could not let the year come to a close without acknowledging that 2009 marks the 35th anniversary of the NGJ. This post is based on a press release we have sent out to mark the occasion and provides an overview of the NGJ’s key achievements and activities.
The National Gallery of Jamaica was established in 1974, as the first national art gallery in the Anglophone Caribbean. National galleries have since been established in Guyana, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and soon also in Barbados but within the Caribbean region, the National Gallery of Jamaica is second only to the art museums of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in terms of the size of its facilities and collection and the scope of its operations.
The 2009 NGJ Christmas Cards Have Arrived!
Our new Christmas cards are now in stock in our gift shop, along with a wide selection of other note-cards. The new cards feature works by Carl Abrahams, Osmond Watson and Michael Lester. Individual cards cost Ja$ 100 retail and Ja$ 80 wholesale (10 or more). Packs of four retail at Ja$ 300 and wholesale at $ 250. Our gift shop is also freshly stocked with original Jamaican art and craft , art reproductions, books on art and related subjects, and other gifts. Profits from gift shop sales provide much-needed support for the programmes and art acquisitions of the NGJ.
For more information, call Tiffany Martin at 922-1561/-3 or 618-0654/-5 or e-mail natgalja@cwjamaica.com.
Children’s Programmes at the NGJ
Saturday Art Time - children's art workshops on Saturday mornings
The National Gallery of Jamaica offers a range of educational programmes, for adults and children, including guided tours, lectures, seminars, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops and outreach programmes to schools and community organizations. By far the most popular of these are the guided tours, which are tailored to the needs of specific groups. The Education Department also has a library with a unique collection of material on Jamaican art, including out-of-print publications such as the book Modern Jamaican Art (1998), and a collection of documentation on a wide range of Jamaican artists and related topics, along with supporting photocopy and printing services.
RE-INSTALLING THE PERMANENT COLLECTION – PART I
Isaac Mendez Belisario, Sketches of Character: French Set Girls (1837-38)
In 2008, the NGJ started reorganizing and re-installing its permanent exhibitions, which are now all located on the second floor of the building, while the first floor is reserved for temporary exhibitions. The re-installation reflects new exhibition practices in art galleries and museums and is designed to be more engaging and visitor-friendly. Among others, we are providing more contextual information by means of text panels and we are also challenging some of the common views about Jamaican art, culture and history, by means of provocative juxtapositions.
Launching the National Gallery of Jamaica blog!
Installation view - National Biennial 2008
We’ve talked about it for some time and now we’re actually doing it, launching the National Gallery of Jamaica’s blog. Developed in tandem with our Facebook group, it will serve as a vehicle for gallery news and information on Jamaican art and artists. We will aim to post about twice per month and whenever circumstances call for it. And, since a blog is an interactive medium, we do look forward to your comments. Look out for our first major post soon!
