Culture

NCF’s Wearable Art Exhibition is back!

Officially opening Saturday at Queen’s Park Gallery

The Wearable Art Exhibition, one of the most exciting arts showcases last year, is returning to the Queen’s Park Gallery for a second consecutive year.

Hosted by the National Cultural Foundation, the final visual arts exhibition for the year seamlessly blends Visual Arts, haute couture, and slow fashion created by some of Barbados’ top and emerging fashion designers and artists in what some view as the “crossroads between craft, fashion and art”.

Cultural Officer/Curator for the Queen’s Park Gallery, Oneka Small cannot wait to welcome everyone to the opening, titled Wear Your Art Party this Saturday, December 9 at 7 p.m. She is also inviting those thinking about attending to “wear your fashion” and make it a spectacular evening out ahead of the exciting annual Christmas morning in the park, where fashion abounds.

“Art isn’t limited to something you hang on a wall. It is living, breathable. It is how we carry ourselves each. We’re having this exhibition again at this time because it’s Christmas and people are dressing up, and we’re hoping to have opportunities for artists to sell their work. Queen’s Park is that place where artists can come and restock their inventory.

“We’re doing as much as we did last year. There will be accessories, jewellery, clothing. Wearable Art is an exhibition people can come see – not everything is for sale – enjoy what’s displayed and be inspired to be more beautiful. We’re optimistic the artists will get some sales,” said Small.

Pauline Bellamy, Mark Daniel (Avark), Shakad Eco Lifestyle, Kim Butcher (Okoye by Kim) Gloria Chung, Julianna Iniss (both jewellery), fashion artist Margaret Herbert and some younger, lesser-known artists will be exhibiting.

A highlight of the showcase is that some of the clothing and accessories are available for sale and individuals looking for something different to wear to an event this holiday season, or those wanting to gift the fashionistas and fashion forward individuals in their lives one of a kind pieces and designer couture, have a chance to do so as the exhibits make excellent choices.

Given the fluidity of the Wearable Art Exhibition, the pieces are likely to change between the opening and its final day on Saturday, January 6, 2024, as they are purchased.

Small said the opening of the exhibition itself is “a different, enjoyable space” for both the artist showing her/his work and people attending who may not consider themselves artists can but want to participate in the Wear Your Art competition for which there is an opportunity to win prizes.

“It’s wearable art and there will be prizes (vouchers) which are redeemable for items in the exhibition. The prize has to be redeemed at the Gallery. We did this last year, and the people came in and bought items. They were able to use the voucher as we would like people to, to shop and buy into local creativity, which is nice,” the Curator said.

Images of last year’s Wear You Art competition participants will be shown in the Gallery during the show’s opening so people can see what was worn by the fashionable mix of attendees in different age groups. (PR)

Culture

BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition Winners Announced

Five winning teams have emerged from the recently held prize-giving ceremony of the inaugural ‘Barbados Postal Service (BPS) 2024 Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’.

The winners hail from the Post Offices of St. Joseph; St. George; Welches Road; St. Philip and the General Post Office in Cheapside.

The overall winner of the competition is the eight-member team of the General Post Office’s Accounts Section, who each received an Island Safari Tour. Second place went to the Welches Road Post Office, third was the St. Philip Post Office, fourth was the St. George Post Office and fifth place went to the St. Joseph Post Office.

Winning Teams (flanked by BPS management), of the inaugural ‘BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’, from the GPO; Welches Road PO; St. Philip PO; St. George PO and the St. Joseph PO.

Postmaster General, Joann Busby, in her address to the winners, stated, “We look forward to many more events like this in the future, celebrating both our history and commitment to excellence.”

Concept Creator of the competition, BPS Marketing Officer Neiai Hall said, “This competition aims to showcase the creativity and cultural expression of our staff, through costume design and performance. The theme of the competition is rooted in our rich heritage and the vibrant spirit of Crop Over.

On left – ‘BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’ 2nd Place Winning Costume, On right – ‘BPS Crop Over Do-FFlicky Costume Competition’ 3rd Place Winning Costume.

“We have encouraged participants to design costumes that not only display their creativity but also incorporate elements that represent the services offered by the BPS”.

The judging criteria consisted of Sustainability; Creativity; Depiction of a BPS Service; Originality; Portrayal; Video Creativity and Originality; Practicality and Inclusivity and Descriptive Write-Up.

Plaques were presented to each of the winning teams and the St. Joseph Post Office also received the Postmaster General’s special award for Outstanding Advertising Video in the competition. (PR/GIS)

Culture

LAST LAP WEEKEND – Ended with Pic-o-de-Crop Finals, Foreday Jump and Kadooment

AN INCIDENT FREE FESTIVAL By David Harris

After two months of activities that included early morning breakfast fetes and late-night parties, the golden anniversary of the Crop Over Festival ended with the Grand Kadooment on Monday.

Over 10.000 revellers in 18 bands danced on the new route which began at the Helipad in Bridgetown and ended in front of Kensington Oval. The street parade was changed its 9 a.m. start to 10 a.m. by the National Cultural Foundation after the Barbados Meteorological Service placed the island under a severe thunderstorm watch.

Eventually, the Blue Box Cart band got the parade moving at 10.07 and the masqueraders began wining and chipping on the streets of Bridgetown.

Only 13 of the 18 bands on parade judged, among the revellers were Barbadian superstar and National Hero, the Right Excellent Robin Rihanna Fenty and former West Indies captain Brian Lara.

Some bands were still heading towards the Mighty Grynner Highway just before at minutes to 9 o’clock. Aura was the last band to reach the highway before the police ended the parade.

The Grand Kadooment ended an action-packed weekend that included the Pic O De Crop Finals at the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford on Friday night, the Foreday Morning Jam which began in Bridgetown in the wee hours of morning and the Grand Kadooment on Monday.

Fans were primed for thrilling contest between the defending monarch IWeb (Ian Webster) and Adrian “AC” Clarke who placed second in last year’s Pic O De Crop competition; but it was AC who captured the crown for the third time after IWeb who appeared to have forgotten the lyrics of the De Village Ram in the second half of the competition.

Clarke performed at number 16 (immediately behind IWeb) and stamped his authority on the competition with an impressive performance of the self-penned Going Fuh Crown, the judges awarded him 133 points, 28 more than Sir Ruel who came second.

Adrian Clarke the 2024 Calypso Monarch

His impressive performance won the first prize of $100,000 or a Nissan E Powe X- Trail valued at $136,000; Clarke told journalists after the competition he had opted to take the vehicle instead of the prize money. Clarke, 52, first won the crown in 2001 and in 2008.

Sir Ruel was the most outstanding performer in the first half with A Single Bullet, he wrote the calypso in memory of his brother Dario Jon-Luc Holder-Branch who was shot to death in February this year. The former Junior Monarch amassed 105 points and won a cash prize of $40,000.

*Sir Ruel, Pic of de Crop, 2nd place winner*

Perennial finalist Chrystal Cummins-Beckles placed third with De Proposal, the multi-talented musician, arranger and composer was awarded 97 points and the $20,000 prize.

Billboard placed fourth for the second consecutive his calypso earned him a cash prize of $15,000; and first timer Tae, the youngest competitor in the final took the fifth position and $10,000 with A Big Cirus.

Calypsonians placing from the sixth to tenth position received $8,000 each, those coming 11 th to 18 th got $6000.

The competition started 51 minutes after the scheduled 8 p.m. due to technical hitches with video presentations, and one contestant (Kid Site) had to start over his song because of problems with the audio. The second half started just after midnight and ended at 2.10 a.m.

In commemoration of the 50 th anniversary of the Crop Festival there were performances by former monarchs the Mighty Destroyer. Red Plastic, the Mighty Gabby and Edwin Yearwood.