- Michael Sloley United States Ambassador Stan McLelland discusses with student artist Vashti Brown aspects of her painting currently on display at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy. Works by students of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts are being promoted by the Embassy under a cultural appreciation project.
THE UNITED States Embassy here has joined its neighbours along the route from Knustford Boulevard to Oxford Road in New Kingston promoting Jamaican art. That is, the other embassies, hotels, financial institutions, and others actively involved in displaying local art on their premises.
At the embassy's Consular Section on Oxford Road, a dozen paintings by students of the Edna Manley College of The Visual and Performing Arts are currently on display in an exhibition which was formally opened last Wednesday.
Partly for aesthetic purposes (to "liven up" bare white walls), the paintings were selected from a number of works submitted by graduating students.
But the embassy aims to "create and foster stronger cultural links with the Jamaican community with which it does business," explains Sheryn Parker of the embassy and co-ordinator of the project. "And exposing and promoting the talented work being done by emerging artists from the college is one way of accomplishing this."
The paintings decorating the walls of the Immigration Unit will hang for about three months. Then they will be replaced by another set of artists' works.
Ms. Parker gave credit to the United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Stan McLelland, and United States Consul-General Nicholas Williams, for implementation of the project.
Ambassador McLelland, an art expert, has already purchased one of the paintings, and vowed to return in a couple of months to see the new set of works scheduled for display. He lauded the work being done at the college, pointing to the "high quality of works on display here."
Cecil Cooper, head of the Painting Department at the EMCVPA, spoke about some of the student artists, and reminded the audience that such linkages with the wider community was fitting for the college to develop as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. He spoke of a book about the institution due for publication later in the year.
Among the student artists displaying works are Suzette Saunders, Yulandae Gordon, Vashti Brown, Christopher Lawrence, Howard Schooler, Khary Darby, Kevin Taylor, Sheldon Blake and Trudy-Ann Myrie.
Students Suzette Saunders, Vashti Brown, Miguel Gonzalez and Howard Schooler were on hand to talk about their works.
Georgia Hemmings
