The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is locally known as the NAGB; however, many people make the mistake--in speech and print--of calling us the "Nassau" Art Gallery. Perhaps this slip is well-deserved: with attention focused on the preservation and management of the historic building that houses the NAGB (Villa Doyle); the National Collection itself of over 350 art pieces, needing continual care and maintenance; and the busy rotation of exhibitions (up to 14 in a single year, not including talks, events, book launches, film screenings, and other programming), there is plenty to keep us busy.

We are well aware, however, that the "N" stands for national and, in the last few years have been making a push to reach the Family Islands, both virtually and in person. First was the weekly radio show, "The Blank Canvas" which airs on Guardian Talk Radio 96.9FM every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and covers Bahamian art and culture and can be heard throughout the archipelago. More recently, the NAGB's newly revamped website has comprehensive and in-depth information on our exhibitions, including texts and images, as well as news items on other art activities. Our Vimeo page, meanwhile, lists all of our artists' talks and programming events, so even if persons cannot attend, they are still able to tune in and engage.

Still, as wonderful as many of the new virtual technologies are, there is still no substitute for experiencing artwork "in the flesh" and we felt it was an important part of our mandate to share the National Collection with more Bahamians throughout the islands. The challenge is always the fragility of the artworks; pieces in the National Collection are precious and provide an archival slice of history of a certain time and place in The Bahamas. As the collection grows, the artworks also inevitably age and must be handled with extreme care. Changes in temperature and humidity can adversely affect them, being knocked as they move around; insects or moulds can also cause damage.

Therefore, the first and most important elements of taking pieces from the collection out of New Providence is to find a location that is secure, well-maintained, central and, of course, open the public. While some hotels have made the offer to hang pieces from our collection, unless a space is willing to host all members of the public during regular opening hours, including school groups, and guarantee the safety of the works, we must decline.

Our first major endeavor was a trip last March to Grand Bahama. On the invitation of the director of the Sir Charles Hayward Library, Mrs. Geneva Rutherford, we were asked to produce a small show. As the director, the safety of the works is my first concern, so a list of works was drawn up that I felt confident could travel safely on the Mail Boat, and we settled on two seminal artists: Amos Ferguson and Max Taylor.

Ferguson was a house painter long before he was a "fine artist," so he used basic materials: cardboard and house paint.  While they can also become fragile over time, they are light and fairly hardy, as house paint is quite tough. Max Taylor's work can be fragile -- printed on paper, which is always difficult to manage in high humidity -- but at the NAGB we have the works well framed and matted with acid-free paper and glazed with "museum glass" that protects the work from UV rays and many environmental factors.

Once we had decided which artists were possible to move easily, Assistant Curator Natalie Willis, from our curatorial team, went to work. A curator's job -- aside from actually caring for the collection (the word "curator" comes from the Latin "curare" meaning "to take care of") -- is to tell stories, to find a hook that will engage an audience and lead them through an experience. Natalie reviewed all the works we had at her disposal -- 25 Amos Fergusons and over 60 Max Taylors -- and, along with Abby Smith, our Community Outreach Officer, selected pieces that told the story she wanted to develop. The title of the exhibition was "Max-Amos: A Tale of two Paradises" and this exhibition examined the various ways Bahamian artists portray their country and the different realities that exist throughout our nation.

Next up to the plate in the development of our travelling show was Abby, who - as her title implies - implements different strategies that will give more Bahamians access to our collection. She worked diligently with schools and teachers to coordinate visits to their locations but also hands-on workshops, in which the children would be introduced to the artists' images but also learn about their different techniques and how to execute them. We always also include a public lecture, open and free to all locals, and give a full set of our exhibition catalogues to the schools and libraries that participate. After the huge success of our Grand Bahama experiment, it was clear the NAGB needed to do this more often, and therefore we have implemented a policy whereby we will make at least two family island trips per year.

Eleuthera was identified as our next stop since a patron offered us the use of a secure and air-conditioned, centrally-located commercial site rent-free, which helped us organize quickly to re-stage the show. With the assistance of the Haynes Library -- and wonderful space that does so much toward education for the local community in Governor's Harbour and beyond--and other donations by local patrons, such as assistance to bring the NAGB van and artwork over on Bahamas Fast Ferries, we were on our way.

Since our collection should only be handled by Curatorial staff, who are trained in how to carry, pack, handle and install artworks, Richardo Barrett, the Assistant Curator, lead the charge, to receive and install the show. Myself along with the gallery Registrar, Darchell Henderson, whose job it is to record where all our pieces are located and evaluate their condition, came out shortly after that to finalize install and prepare for the opening night, on Saturday 10th. The evening was a rich experience for us and saw a generous turnout from the local crowd, which pleasantly surprised us all!

Abby and Darchell then set to work preparing for the school visits and student workshops on Tuesday 13; after giving students a tour of the show in the gallery space, they were given the opportunity to participate in a workshop. This had been planned to take place at the Haynes Library, but due to its immense popularity and the number of teachers and students who attended, it was relocated to the adjacent St. Patrick's Anglican Church parish hall.

Schools came from all over the island and included students and teachers from Tarpum Bay Primary, James Cistern Primary, North Eleuthera High, Central Eleuthera High, Samuel Guy Pinder All Age School (Spanish Wells), Deep Creek Middle School, and Preston Albury High. Not one to stop when she is on a roll, Abby also gave a free public lecture the same evening at the Haynes Library.

The next three days put the team through its paces as Richardo and Abby visited as many schools as possible, to talk about the NAGB, showing other works in our collection, and speak about their jobs and opportunities for young Bahamians in the cultural industries.

Wednesday 14 they visited Deep Creek Middle School, Preston Albury, Rock Sound High School and Tarpum Bay Primary; Thursday 15 saw them at Emma Cooper Primary, Central Eleuthera High School, Governor's Harbour Primary, James Cistern Primary, and North Eleuthera High School, while Friday 16th saw their attendance at Samuel Guy Pinder All Age.

This huge undertaking is always worthwhile, the positive feedback the NAGB team gets from local communities is enough to fuel us to keep on with our vision to visit every inhabited island and -- one day -- to maybe even have a small annex of the NAGB in these communities.

Finally, the visits are also an important way for us to understand the needs: in many conversation with Family Islanders, it became clear that most do not visit Nassau on the weekend, when we have our FREE SUNDAYS, but rather come during the week, to shop and visit the doctor, and this important piece of information has lead us to declare EVERY DAY a free day for any Family Islander visiting the capital. Just show us something with your address, and you will be welcomed, any day of the week, into your NAGB!

A student artist with his sculptured masterpiece during the 36th RBC sponsored RBC Summer Arts Workshop for students. (RBC)

For the 36th consecutive year, RBC sponsored the RBC Summer Arts Workshop for students, one of the most well-known arts-related events in The Bahamas. The program has for many years played a pivotal role in the development of young Bahamian artists.

"Some of the leading names in the Caribbean art world have participated in these workshops --often first as students and now as instructors," said Nathaniel Beneby, managing director, RBC Royal Bank, Northern Caribbean.

The annual workshop, planned in partnership with the Ministry of Education's Art and Design Unit, is geared toward 11th grade students who are preparing for the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) national art examinations and also toward eighth grade students sitting the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) exams. However, the program is open to any student in grades eight through 12 with an interest in art. Teachers coach participants through completion and public exhibition of coursework in two areas -- fine arts, including drawing and painting/graphics, and creative craft studies, which includes ceramics, and Junkanoo art.

"The workshops are extremely popular with our students," said Pamela Chandler, director of the Ministry of Education Art and Design Unit and workshop facilitator, noting that the 2016 Workshops were very successful with over 70 young people enrolled. "I have been honored to run the program for over a decade and I must commend RBC's unwavering support of young artists and strong partnership with the Ministry of Education."

This year's workshop was held at Government High School. Instructors for the sessions included Tricene Thurston, Lendrex Ross, Marco Mullings, Minolta Butler, and Kevin Rolle.The program culminated with an exhibition and awards ceremony at the Mall at Marathon where each student artist received a medal along with trophies and a cash prize for top selected art pieces.

"Our support of the workshop helps students hone their skills and showcase their creativity," said Patrice Ritchie, area vice president, New Providence, RBC Royal Bank. "What's more, we believe the next generation of great Bahamian artists will emerge out of this program, bolstering the vitality of our community for years to come. RBC has sponsored the Summer Arts Workshop for over two decades, and to us, this workshop is not just a summer camp. It is an important corporate initiative for RBC. Over the years, leading names in the Caribbean art world have participated. RBC believes in the power of the arts to add to the quality of lives and enhance communities."

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony pictured in front row from left to right: Mrs. Blair Anderson, Consul General Paulette Zonicle, an Ambassador Dr. Eugene Newry. Back row from left: Ms. Katrina Cartwright, Mr. Bryan Anderson, and Mr. Michael Edwards.

In recognition of its ongoing commitment to “bolster art education, cultural exchange and economic growth in The Bahamas,” Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., hosted a cocktail reception for the Exnihilo Art Center at the Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex, 1025 Vermont Avenue, N.W., on Thursday, April 4, 2016.

Special guests included Mr. Michael Edwards, Art Lecturer at the College of The Bahamas (COB), and Ms. Katrina Cartwright, a Ceramist at COB, who collaborate with Exnihilo’s owners, husband-and-wife Bryan and Blair Anderson, on programs offered by the Art Center.

Prior to a ribbon-cutting ceremony, His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, and Ms. Zonicle gave brief remarks, along with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Edwards and Ms. Cartwright.

From left to right: Ms. Katrina Cartwright, Ambassador Dr. Eugene Newry, Consul General Paulette Zonicle, and Mr. Michael Edwards.

Programs established by the Exnihilo Art Center, based in Washington, D.C., include:

1. The Exnihilo Art Award, a scholarship fund dedicated to college-bound art students specifically from the Bahamas Family Islands;

2. Art Education and Residencies, a program that selects talented individuals, both Bahamian and American, and supports them through the creation and completion of a body of work. This is done through partnerships with entities like the College of The Bahamas, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and SilverWorks in DC. Workshops and classes are also held in Nassau in the historic Bethel House.

3. Exnihilo Art Center in Long Island, Bahamas, a development that will be an international artist residency located on Long Island. Once this project is completed it would be the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

By Oswald Brown

Creative art pieces, decorative home accessories, useful goods, and treats - all created by Bahamian children who participated in summer camps sponsored by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - will be on display at Superclubs Breezes this Friday from 9am - 1pm.

A tour of some of the summer camps this year proved fruitful for Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson, who was amazed at the accomplishments of the children over the past few weeks.

Enterprising students made the best out of their summer by learning skills that will aid them in becoming entrepreneurs, or even just inspire them to see their worth.

One of the most moving visits was made to the Mega Mergers apprenticeship program, where young men and women turned what would be considered trash into valuable items fit for sale. Candis Marshall guided the children in learning how to make a variety of items including: purses and apparel made from tire inner tubes; children's play pens and storage containers made from tires; mirrors and other household decorative items made using plastic spoons, and the like.

Dr. Johnson was also blown away by the woodwork shop at R.M. Bailey High School, where summer students took palatte wood, which would normally be rejected, treat it for the weather and bugs, and then turn them into functional pieces. Students made entire bar counters, wine racks, patio furniture, piggy banks, and tables. Principal of the school Mr. Collin Johnson says his doors are always open to assist Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture with creating avenues for young people to become enterprising.

Lorraine Smith led her crew of summer students in the art of upholstery - it has paid off well as the kids made a variety of cushions and also had a chance to cover valuable pieces of furniture.

Jameel Lightbourne had a crew of apprentice bakers who really enjoyed the class. Not only did they learn how to make delicious treats, they were able to sell their goods and create a return for themselves. Christopher Roberts held down a strong team of young men and turned them into skilled barbers over the summer. Veronique Cardoza helped young ladies gain meaningful skills in hair and beauty that could earn each of the students a living in the future.

The molding apprenticeship summer program also amazed Dr. Johnson. Jason Williams spent the summer teaching kids how to make tables, chairs and even kitchen sinks from fiberglass. The kids learned chemistry as they mixed compounds to turn the fiberglass into usable works of art.

The culture division had a thriving summer class where children learned how to play rake n' scrape and Junkanoo, while being exposed to folk songs and dance.

He closed out his tour by visiting the sporting camps in his own constituency. The Carmichael Community Center became the home to dozens of young tennis, soccer, and volleyball players, as well as boxing, judo and jujitsu competitors. The center also hosted a successful basketball tournament to provide an outlet for the many young men in the area. The kids will be given tickets to watch the Jamaica/ Haiti soccer match at the National Stadium on Friday evening to get a glimpse of competition at a higher level.

The public is invited to come out and see what the summer students produced and to purchase some of their goods at the trade show at Superclubs Breezes this Friday, July 29, 2016.

By Felicity Ingraham