- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Her Excellency, the Most Hon. Mrs. Hall (second left), finds something fascinating about this Ken Spencer painting. Admiring the work with her are (from left) Rodney Persaud, managing director of RBTT Bank; Governor-General Prof. Kenneth Hall; Burchell Duhaney, principal of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts and Judith Forth-Blake, assistant general manager for marketing and customer care.
Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
THE WORK of a true Jamaican art heavyweight was unfolded at the Hilton Kingston hotel in New Kingston last Tuesday.
Ken Abendana Spencer, who passed away on December 28, 2005, was the son of Jamaica's first black book store owner and began painting as a child.
Although he spent 10 years in Europe, his work always portrayed the colourful side of the land of his birth. The showing was sponsored by the management of RBTT as part of an effort to increase the awareness of Jamaican arts and culture.
BANK'S COMMITMENT
To further emphasise the bank's commitment to the arts, managing director of RBTT, Rodney Persaud, announced the granting of an annual scholarship to a final year student of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts valued at $200,000.The recipient must demonstrate his/her talents and is one who is experiencing financial difficulties.
The scholarship will be awarded on a rotating basis to each of the four schools of art, dance, music and drama.
Mr. Persaud urged Jamaicans to appreciate the arts.
"Teach our children about our history, celebrate our National Heroes, our independence, our and our music and be proud of whom we are as without that our uniqueness will be lost forever," he said.
Guests walked around the ballroom cocktails in hand, viewing the magnificent works of Spencer who never attended a formal art school.
In between the speeches, the artist's life was celebrated in dance from the L'Acadco Dancers and song from the Carifolk Singers.
CAPTURED ESSENCE
The guest speaker knew a few things about Spencer's work being an avid fan herself.
Wife of the Governor-General, Her Excellency, Rheima Hall, marvelled at Spencer's ability to capture the essence of what he saw in a few strokes and at his skilled hands whether he was using a brush or palate knife to create his images.
She underlined that regardless of what he painted, viewers can immediately recognise the 'Jamaican-ness'.
Spencer's works will be displayed at the RBTT Dominica Drive branch from May 1 to 5 with all the branches getting a taste of the great man's work.
