Theresa Roberts’ private art collection to be shown in the UK

WESTERN BUREAU:

The 1964 ‘Head’ by Alvin Marriott, Edna Manley’s 1983 bronze ‘Orpheus’, and George Rodney’s 1980 ‘Awakening’ are among the impressive pieces of art that will be on show in the UK’s Victoria Gallery and Museum in celebration of Jamaica 60.

The pieces, some from as early as 1962, when Jamaica gained Independence from Britain, are from the collection of Jamaican-born UK-based businesswoman and philanthropist, Theresa Roberts, and represents the passion and creative skill of some of the island’s most talented artists.

The exhibition is tagged ‘Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection’ and will run from Saturday, February 19, until Saturday, July 9.

Roberts has collected extensively in the last 22 years and tells The Sunday Gleaner that the exhibition was postponed several times owing to COVID. She is really very excited about the show because not only does it feature the families of the arts, including the Watson dynasty of Basil, Barrington, Raymond, and Kai, it is perfected by young , contemporary and emerging talent who are the future of Jamaican art.

With help from the late Guy McIntosh, who operated the Frame Centre in Kingston, Roberts has hosted several exhibitions, but this one is big, she says, and it is being complemented by highlighting how the talent has been passed down from generation to generation.

Some 30 pieces have been selected for what Roberts says is the first exhibition entirely of Jamaican art to take place in the northwest of England.

DIVERSITY

“And it shows a Jamaica beyond the tourist idyll – a country with its challenges, but a strong sense of identity and culture.”

She said self-taught artist Michael Hayden Elliott and his son, Michael Elliot, will have three pieces in the exhibition, namely, ‘Hole in the Wall’, ‘Dog Skull 2’, and ‘The Core’.

“I am so pleased that the father’s work is in the exhibition and book, with his son who received formal training, an opportunity he never had,” she gushed, adding that her love and passion come through in the show.

Female artists are also a significant aspect of the offerings, with Laura Facey Cooper, Judy-Ann McMillan, and Kristina Rowe within the field.

The show’s pieces were selected by curator Dr Amanda Draper, who expressed delight in the unique collection, which she says will be well received by a Liverpool and beyond audience.

“It reveals Jamaica’s vibrant culture and also gives a rare opportunity to see the private art collection of Theresa Roberts, an inspiring patron and philanthropist,” Dr Draper told guideliverpool.com.

When she was collecting her art pieces over the years, Roberts said she picked things that depicted history.

“The history of how Jamaican people used their own sort of cultural object to make art and are still doing that while inspiring their children to go to the school.”

She spoke of the emotional attachment she has with her roots. Having left Jamaica at the young age of eight, Roberts has become an ambassador of sorts in the UK, with her Jamaica Patty Company and various activities giving prominence to the island.

Her home at the exclusive Tryall Club in Hanover has played host to several charity events to better the lives of Jamaicans.

Already, her show is getting a lot of publicity, she says, with many young people wanting to join in the conversation about Jamaica, “This is opening the door for educational things,” she stated.

A lot of international money has gone into the exhibition, a fact Roberts says Jamaicans should be proud of.

And the UK-based entrepreneur should take all the kudos and the icing on the cake as a reward for the work she has done bringing attention to the island.

“People who look at what I do and respect me think let’s reward Jamaica and everybody else because she’s doing something good,” Roberts humbly admitted.

Immediately after the exhibition is launched, the book with the same name will take centre stage on another platform.

“I am hoping the book will be taught from in schools,” says Roberts.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com