The National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) is saddened by the news of the passing of one of Jamaica’s respected art pioneers, Milton Harley, who died on January 1, 2021.
Born in Kingston, 1935, Dr Harley migrated to the United States of America (USA) where he attended the Pratt Institute in New York and attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In pursuit of a professional career in visual arts, Dr Harley attended art institutions (between 1959-1976) in USA, Spain, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom, to perfect his skills in areas such as graphic design, philosophy (aesthetics) and sculpture. He later earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PH.D.) in 1985 at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies in Education and Research, Leicester Polytechnic, United Kingdom.
After his exceptional educational journey, Dr Harley began his duties as a teacher at over thirteen different art educational institutions in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom. His accomplishments as an artist included five solo exhibitions in Jamaica, New York and Spain and seventeen major group exhibitions in Jamaica, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain and Brazil. Dr Harley is a true stalwart, and a significant part of Jamaica’s artistic legacy.
The NGJ’s Board of Directors, management and staff offer our sincere condolences to Dr Harley’s family and friends.
For further information on this esteemed visual artist, see the following link to an article written by Senior Curator at the NGJ, Monique Barnett-Davidson: