Art

Barbados To Be Represented At The 15th Dak’art Biennial, Dakar, Senegal

The work of 11 Barbadian artists will form a part of this Inaugural Barbados/Senegal exhibition entitled ‘Transatlantique 1: Return, communing with our Transatlantic family’ which will be an important part of the Official Festival Fringe of this major visual arts Expo. Hosted by the Village des Arts (The Artists Village), a space traditionally dedicated to the display and sale of the work of Senegalese artists, the Barbadian artworks will be displayed in conversation with that of their Senegalese contemporaries.

The exhibition is the initiative of consultant Nyzinga Onifa, who facilitated the contact of the NCF with senior artist and President of the Village des Arts, Mohamedou ‘Zulu’ Mbaye who extended the invitation for our island’s participation. The project is funded and produced by the National Cultural Foundation.

The works displayed by our artists feature many riveting visual statements on life in the diaspora in the aftermath of slavery and colonialism, with its attendant loss of family and identity, but also speaks to the determined resilience of the descendants of Africa on this side of the Atlantic.

The Dakar Biennial traditionally showcases the work of African artists in Africa and the Diaspora and promotes the development of African culture. Its purpose is to create a space for dialogue, exchange and reflection on the artistic expressions of the continent and provide a platform for African artists to showcase their creativity, diversity and innovation.

The Biennale today is a large-scale international contemporary art exhibition held every two years in Dakar, Senegal. The 2024 edition will run from November 7- December 7th under the curatorial theme of ‘The Wake’.

Barbadians may view the engaging selections in the Packing Show at the Queens Park Gallery from 10 am – 6 pm daily until September 27th, 2024. Make sure that you visit and view it as soon as possible! The collection will be packed for shipment immediately at the close of the exhibition. (PR)

Art

Crop Over colouring book: A tribute to festival’s 50 years

Colour Me Crop Over: five decades of history, fun and culture. These sentiments are captured in “50 Years of Crop Over A Fun Activity Book For Children”, the latest colouring and activity fun book produced by the National Cultural Foundation to commemorate the Festival’s golden anniversary.

A collection of engaging activities geared at stimulating creativity and creating an appetite for reading, the fun-book offers a delightful way for youngsters to discover the rich tradition of the Crop Over Festival.

Chock-o-block with historical tidbits and fun activities such as dot-to-dots, mazes and spot the differences, this latest child-centred activity book, produced by the NCF, highlights some of the events and elements of Crop Over since it’s revamping in 1974 through several decades post 1984 when it came under the management of the NCF.

Each page captures an aspect of the island’s unique heritage festival such as: snippets on the mill-yard where the original festivities took place, the draycart and its connection to the Decorated Cart Parade; the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes; Jaycees Carnival of the 50s and 60s; the tradition of dances and ‘brams’ in Barbados; information on the original Bridgetown Market on Broad Street, Plantation Fairs; the story Mr. Harding and more.

Beautifully illustrated by Cherise Harris and written by Sarah Venable and the NCF’s Research Officer, Michelle Springer, this Crop Over keepsake is sure to be one of the season’s ‘fun-tastic’ highlights, for children and adults. Copies of the “50 Years of Crop Over A Fun Activity Book For Children” are being distributed through national summer camps organised by the National Sports Council and the Community Development Department. They are also available from the NCF in West Terrace, branches of the National Library Service and Community Centres across the island. (PR)