The NAGB’s Fifth National Exhibition asks “What is Your Carbon Footprint?”

Haiti – Catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Chile – Catastrophic magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Turkey – Catastrophic magnitude 6.0 earthquake. Iceland – Volcanic eruption causes floods and disrupts air travel for weeks. The Gulf of Mexico – 4.9 million barrels of crude oil spilled. Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Afghanistan – Catastrophic Flooding. Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh – Landslides displacing people and threatening lives. Pakistan – More than 20 million people injured or homeless due to flooding. Sumatra – Volcano eruption relocates 12,000 people — and all of this in the first 8 months of 2010 alone!

These are just a few examples of the Earth reacting to the burdens and demands we manufacture and place on it. These events are ALL related one way or another to various forms of global climate change. It has been obvious that the planet has been showing us that we should strive to live in harmonious rhythm with nature. Should we choose to ignore the effects of our actions, we will have to accept the potential dire penalties.

Because of these and other global events, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas resolved that for the first time in the Gallery’s existence, its Fifth National Exhibition (also known as “The NE5”) would be a themed exhibition exploring ideas and narratives on issues relating to the 21st century global question of our carbon footprint and climate change. Professional artists of The Bahamas, residing here and abroad, were invited to create work which responded to the theme “The Carbon Footprint: Bahamian Artists’ 21st Century Response to the Environment.”

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment and, in particular, on climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases we individually produce in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, etc.

David A. Bailey, Acting Director of the NAGB sites, “It is the intention of the NAGB to explore this area from an artist’s perspective seeing how they use their own unique artistic tools and vision to produce works that look at areas such as urbanization, mobility (cars, planes, boats, etc.), domesticity, personal space(s), landscape, industrialization, natural earth elements, fabricated non-natural elements, etc. that relate to carbon footprint and climate change.”

The selected artists of this National Exhibition responded with impressive insight and attentive commentary to circumstances that warrant response and reaction. The collective reaction is also one of record. Thirty-eight (38) artists brought work to the jury that was made up of seven (7) members. Twenty-three (23) pieces out of a possible thirty-six (36) were accepted (63%). Also, there is a balance of gender that was never present in any of the previous National Exhibitions: 12 male artists and 12 female artists (1:1).

The chosen artists of the NAGB’s Fifth National Exhibition are: John Beadle, Sue Bennett-Williams, Dede Brown, Apryl Burrows, John Cox, Blue Curry, Claudette Dean, Jan Elliot, Kendra Frorup, Mick Guy, John B. Gynell, Ken Heslop, Kristaan Ingraham, Kishan Munroe, Lavar Munroe, Susan Moir-Mackay, Lynn Parotti, Dylan Rapillard, Heino Schmid, Natasha Turnquest and Eleanor Whitely. The media spanned the gamut and included found objects and mixed media, paintings, textiles, photography, graphic design, and quiltmaking.

The Gallery’s National Exhibition is a biannual event where artists of The Bahamas are invited to submit works to a published Call for Artwork. However, this year the Gallery chose to work outside of the historical parameters of the selection process that has been in place since the Inaugural National Exhibition seven years ago.

In the past, artists were invited to submit three pieces from their portfolio that had been produced in the past two years. This time they were asked to produce one piece in response to the theme with the objective of raising a social consciousness within our community. 

In keeping with the idea of reducing the Gallery’s own carbon footprint, the NAGB chose to forego commercially printing and mailing its Invitations to the Opening Reception but opted for the paperless route and digitally emailed invitations to its guest list.

Further to this, in another innovative move, the Gallery also decided to not produce a printed catalogue as in years past, but instead created a “digital” catalogue in the form of a specially designed and produced Jump Drive which features images of all the artwork, video interviews of and information on the participating artists. The NE5 digital catalogue will be available for purchase in the Gallery Store, Mixed Media.

Additionally, Holly A. Parotti, Curator of the NE5, and Assistant Curator, Jackson Petit, researched films that were included in the submission process to motivate those interested in submitting work and also to support a more cohesive conversation in the community.

Attendance to these films was compulsory but in no way meant to dictate how the artist would interpret or react to the theme. The two films, Remembering Saro-Wiwa and Home, were profound and exceptionally moving. Remembering Saro-Wiwa is a monument to the activist Ken Saro-Wiwa who was executed because of his campaign against the annihilation caused by the depletion and rape of the Niger Delta by certain oil companies. Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s Home was also presented because of its beautiful aerial cinematography that documented the threat humanity imposes on the planet.

With the NAGB’s vision to further catapult Bahamian art into the international arena, the Gallery invited two world renowned artists, Janine Antoni and Alfredo Jaar, along with Director of Gasworks UK, Alessio Antoniolli, to be a part of the jury that judged the submissions. By doing this, the NAGB hoped to open the conversation to the international contemporary art platform.

“This was not an easy challenge but at the NAGB, we feel that with difficult and complex times, it is important that artists are given the opportunity to respond,” said David Bailey.

Curator Holly Parotti notes,“Arguably, zero impact is a myth. Everything that we do in our daily lives impacts the environment and we leave a carbon footprint. We can choose to continue to ignore issues like the effects of the interconnectedness of climate change and fuel consumption or we can reduce our dependency on materials or processes that endorse and amplify the devastation of our natural resources. By understanding one’s contribution, one can begin to rectify the situation. By reacting, one acknowledges that there is a problem. By discussing, we can determine resolution.”

The artists of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas’ Fifth National Exhibition, through creative and unique vision, have begun a united exchange about the human impression that is left on the planet. The hope of this exhibition is to enlighten and open the eyes of the Bahamian community so that we question our own impact environmentally and ecologically.

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas invites the public to its Fifth National Exhibition. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, September 4, 2010 and closes January 31, 2011. Various Artist Talks, Walk-throughs and Public Programmes will be announced throughout the coming months that will support the dialogue created by the artists of the NE5.

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is located on West and West Hill Streets and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Exhibition tours are given but require advanced reservation. For more information, you may contact the NAGB at Telephone 328-5800/1 or at email: info@nagb.org.bs or at their website:www.nagb.org.bs.

Photos: Dr. Erica James (L) and David A. Bailey (R)

The founding director of the National Art Gallery Dr. Erica James will take a year long sabbatical to serve as a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri in 2010. 

Dr. James returned to the Bahamas in 2003 after being retained as Visiting Resident Curator by the Committee to Establish the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. She was tasked with overseeing the final stages of the restoration and renovation of Villa Doyle, the official opening of the Gallery, the curation of the Inaugural National Exhibition (INE) and the coordination of the installation of the three major exhibitions that open the gallery in July 2003.

Dr. James was appointed Chief Curator in 2003 and Director of the Gallery in 2005. During her time at the NAGB she has drafted policies to govern the operation of the National Art Gallery both curatorially and institutionally, curated more than ten exhibitions including three National Exhibitions, the popular What is Africa to Me?, The Awakening Landscape and the current Max Taylor Paperwork. Under her direction the gallery has also developed a vibrant public program offering that includes, lectures, concerts, artist talks, children and family workshops, films, teacher workshops etc. Perhaps most important to her has been the development of the gallery’s Art Library intended to assist, students, teachers and artists with resources on Bahamian, regional and international artists and art movements.

A graduate of the College of The Bahamas and a proud recipient of the Sir Gerald Cash award for the highest GPA in her graduating year at COB, Dr. James received her BA (honours) from Vassar College, the Master of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago and an earned PhD in Art History from Duke University. She is the recipient of numerous awards including research fellowships from the International Association of University Women and the Ford Foundation, The John Hope Franklin Fellowship and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Research Fellowship at the Clark Institute Williamstown, MA. 

Washington University is considered the twelfth ranked University in the United States. While there Dr. James will mentor students, work on several projects including personal research in Caribbean Art, a new teaching text on Bahamian Art and a new curriculum for a degree program in Art and Visual Culture being proposed as a partnership between the National Art Gallery and The College of The Bahamas.  

The Board of Directors and the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture are proud of Dr. James’ accomplishments and dedication to Bahamian Arts. They support her in her desire for continued growth and admire her commitment to remaining current in her field. Dr. James recommended that David A. Bailey be appointed as Acting Director in her absence. After careful analysis of the situation, the Board supports this appointment and will welcome Mr. Bailey to the NAGB in 2010.

Though not a Bahamian, in the increasingly internationalized world of Visual Art and Culture, Bailey is recognized as a top curator and gallerist. Dr. James states that “The NAGB is almost seven years old. This is a very symbolic year for us. For the first seven years we have concentrated on building an institution, establishing and enforcing clear policy guidelines on which the NAGB can operate. We have shown our ability to produce exhibitions that have relevance. We have contributed to building the archive on Bahamian Art and Culture through our publications and have established ourselves as a regionally recognized and admired institution. However, listening to our artists and really seeing what is being produced by Bahamian artists inside the Bahamas and across the world has made us realize that the next seven years will be about building the Bahamian Art historical canon, teaching Bahamians about our rich artistic history while simultaneously gaining a foothold for Bahamian Art in international exhibition spaces.” 

“Unfortunately for us though - and we are working to change this - few Bahamians have sought careers in the Arts at this level. Fewer have the training, vision, international exposure and contacts necessary to help us make this leap. There is a need to craft a public discussion that looks dispassionately at what it means to be a Bahamian artist, is It necessary or even possible to create “Bahamian Art” in an increasingly globalized culture. When planning my leave, the intention was to make certain that the gallery continued to operate at a high standard. Having worked with Bailey at Duke University and knowing of his level of success and dedication to Diasporic curatorial practice, he seemed a perfect match in this transitional moment.”  

Until recently David A. Bailey served as Senior Curator at Autograph- London. Awarded the distinction of Member of the British Empire (MBE), Mr. Bailey is a noted curator and member of the British Arts Council. He has curated exhibitions that have travelled the world, making stops at institutions such as the Corcoran Museum in Washington DC, and The Tate, Whitechapel and the Heyward Galleries in London. He is the founder of the International Curator’s Forum and a recent recipient of a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation to work on Caribbean Art. His life partner is the artist Sonia Boyce (once the youngest artist to have her work acquired by the Tate Gallery) and they have two daughters Maya and Arony. Mr. Bailey was born in London in 1960 to Bajan émigré parents and educated at The University of Sussex. 

Dr. James states that, “It truly is an honor to have David A. Bailey in residence at the Gallery for 2010. For him to accept our invitation says a lot about the work we have done, but also about the potential of the gallery and Bahamian Art in the future. I know that he along with Bahamian Artists and the general public will have a terrific time charting the course and I know it will be a year of artistic, mental and intellectual challenge and growth.”

Mr. Bailey will oversee the curation of the 2010 National Exhibition and continue projects Dr. James initiated such as the Gallery’s acquisition of the Amos Ferguson home, the Livable Neighborhoods project and its extension with the Artists for Peace Initiative.