29th Art of Reggae Exhibition Opening + Panel Discussion

On Sunday, February 19, 2023 the National Gallery of Jamaica invites the public to the opening ceremony of the 29th Art of Reggae Exhibition, a showcase of the top 100 posters from the 2022 International Reggae Poster Contest (IRPC). The event will feature remarks from Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange C.D.,M.P;  scholar and writer Professor Carolyn Cooper and graphic designer and co-founder of the IRPC, Maria Papaefstathiou. Doors open from 10:00am to 3:00pm with formalities beginning at 11:30am. This event is free and open to the public, featuring music by DJ Iset Sankofa.

The IRPC was founded in 2011 by graphic designers, the late Michael “Freestylee” Thompson (Jamaica, 1958-2016) and Maria Papaefstathiou. The continual aim of the contest has been to highlight Reggae’s phenomenal and widespread impact across the globe. The 29th Art of Reggae Exhibition was previously hosted by the Gallery in 2012 and 2018.

The theme for the 2022 IRPC was “Women in Reggae Music”, with entrants submitting graphic designs highlighting the many roles of women in the Jamaican music industry, including songwriting, singing, deejaying, producing, artist management and entertainment journalism. The entrants were also encouraged to honour the women who had powerful roles such as freedom fighters, cultural activists and nurturers which have been popular references in Jamaican music. The winner of the 2022 IRPC is Vasilis Grivas from Greece. An illustrator of children’s and adults’ books, he has worked with many publishers and illustrated more than a 100 books and covers, in Greece and abroad. 

For more information on the International Reggae Poster Contest, you can visit the website at https://www.reggaepostercontest.com/ 

The public is also invited to attend a discussion entitled “Mek Wi Talk: Reggae, Women and Poster Art”, a discussion between Maria Papaefstathiou, Vasilis Grivas and NGJ Chief Curator O’Neil Lawrence, to be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 1:30 pm.

The 29th Art of Reggae Exhibition is a contribution to the 2023 Reggae Month activities and the ongoing Jamaica 60 celebrations. It is scheduled to remain on view at the National Gallery of Jamaica, until June 3, 2023.