Art Bytes

Watson Statue Of Dr. Martin Luther King

 

The City of Atlanta has selected Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson   to create a double life-size statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The statue sit in downtown Atlanta near two of its landmarks: the CNN Headquarters and the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Watson was one of three shortlisted sculptors and presented his vision last May. It's a triumph for Jamaica given that Dr. King said on his first visit here that  he never felt more at home anywhere in the world. “In Jamaica, I feel like a human being,” said the Civil Rights leader.

Earlier this year Watson unveiled his statue of another hero, the Hon. Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverely in Gordon Town, and busts of Jamaica's seven heroes in Heroes Walk at Emancipation Park.  

Art Bytes

Jamaican artist Arthur Simms’ A Totem for the High Line is now installed at the 16th Street Spur Preserve in New York City’s Chelsea District.

The National Gallery of Jamaica has named Ashley James as guest curator for its 2024 Kingston Biennial which opens December 15th. Titled Green X Gold, the biennial will be the closing highlight of the 2024 Gallery’s 50th anniversary. The exhibition will cover works on the environment, nature, and land, inspired by the Jamaican flag’s ecological symbolism. 

The National Gallery of Jamaica will host a five-day Writivity workshop from August 12th to 16th  to help students sitting the Visual Arts CSEC exams with their reflective journals. The reflective journal is a part of the School-Based Assessment and the final grades of the CSEC exam.

Jamaican artist Garfield Morgan has another exhibit in Canada. This time his work is on display at the Don Wheaton Family YMCA in Edmonton.  until October 31st.

The National Gallery of Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary exhibition, Continuity, runs from June 30 to September 30th, 2024. Continuity revisits ten NGJ’s iconic exhibitions, including the Biennials of 2014, 2017 and 2022 and Jamaica Jamaica, (2020).

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