Cayman: National Gallery call for Artists-Virtual Exhibition by June 11

The
National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is launching an online
exhibition to spotlight the creativity of artists and members of the
public who have turned to making art as a means of expression during
the current COVID-19 pandemic. This exhibition seeks to provide a
platform for this creativity and in doing so inspire the community as
we continue to collectively grapple with the short and long-term
effects of the pandemic.

As
the community has come together to support one another, to give
generously to those in need and make collective sacrifices to
overcome this pandemic, we have had a glimpse of the true #CaymanKind
character of these Islands and of the generosity and determination of
the Caymanian spirit. We have also witnessed the remarkable
creativity of our arts community. From family living rooms to
children’s bedrooms, garages to back yards, Cayman’s artists have
been finding innovative ways to adapt their workspaces to these new
conditions and to channel their feelings through the medium of the
visual arts.

By
bringing these artworks together for the public, the exhibition
offers both a portrait of an extraordinary moment in our history, as
captured through the eyes of artists, and a chance to celebrate the
life-affirming power of art and creativity in the darkest of moments.

The
National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ (NGCI) new online
exhibition series will showcase the work of local artists via NGCI’s
website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/whats-on/exhibitions/.
The inaugural exhibition will explore “creativity in lockdown”
and
has a wide degree of latitude that will allow for diverse and varied
expression across a full range of creative media. Selected artwork
will feature in a three-month long online exhibition via the National
Gallery’s website, which will be supported by a programme of Artist
Talks, virtual panel discussions and Zoom events.

This
exhibition is open to all residents in the Cayman Islands. Please
submit one high-resolution photograph of an artwork that has been
created over the past two months during the current lockdown period.
A maximum of one work per artist will be considered. All submissions
should be accompanied by a brief artist’s statement about the
prospective work.

All images and text must be provided in electronic format only and directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@nationalgallery.org.ky by Thursday June 11th. Submissions must be accompanied by:

1. A
   high-resolution image of the proposed work sized 1MB or above
   
   
2. Artwork
   information (Your name, artwork title, date, medium and a
   description of 100 words or less)
   
3. Link
   to your website if applicable
   
   

The exhibition will run from June 15th until August 31st 2020.

The
NGCI Education Department has been busy developing cross curricular
lesson plans and art activities three times weekly throughout
lockdown. We are currently seeking teachers and artists who are
interested in helping develop these resources for families and
schools, and to host virtual art classes, over the coming months, for
an hourly honorarium. For more information about how to apply to
become an instructor, please email:education@nationalgallery.org.ky.

Our
new Artist Talks series, which profiles local artists at home, will
continue running until July with posts twice weekly. For information
about how to participate in the new NGCI Artist Talks series please
email:collections@nationalgallery.org.ky
or
toview
the series visit:https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/blog/.

The
National Gallery is working with stakeholders to explore the
development of an Artist Relief Fund for artists who have lost their
primary source of income. We will be sharing more details about the
grant and how to apply in early June. To receive information via
email please contact: administration@nationalgallery.org.ky
.

Extensive
work has been carried out by the NGCI Team over the past two months
to digitise the NGCI archive of exhibitions and education resources,
in addition to uploading the National Gallery Art Collection onto our
website with artists bios for over 100 local artists. Visit
https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/see/
or
see daily collection highlights via @natgalcayman #ngcicollection.

If
you missed our current Island
of Women
exhibition before lockdown, take a virtual tour of this show and
support the 26 featured local artists:
https://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/see/virtual-tours/

Finally, thank you to everyone who recently completed our NGCI COVID19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creatives. We are currently converting the data into a report that will be published via the NGCI website. Your feedback will directly impact our COVID relief programming (Business of Art) and also be shared with policy makers and funding organisations. If you’d like to receive a copy of this report via email please emailadministration@nationalgallery.org.ky.

About
the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

Established
in 1996, the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) is the
country’s leading visual arts museum and education centre, charged
with promoting and encouraging the appreciation and practice of the
visual arts in the Cayman Islands. This mission is achieved through
exhibitions, education/outreach programmes, school tours, community
festivals, and ongoing research projects. Holding up to six
exhibitions annually at our central exhibition space, and satellite
venues around Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, the curatorial
team strives to create a balance between exhibitions of quality
Caymanian artwork with art from further afield. This is achieved by
working with a broad cross-section of artists and ranging from
site-specific work to more traditional gallery-based projects.

NGCI
is at the forefront of visual arts education in the Cayman Islands
hosting 25+ education and outreach programmes monthly, across all
three islands. These programmes aim to capture every age group in our
community from the youngest pre-schoolers to senior citizens, in
addition to marginalized members of our community. They combine arts
education with enriching creative experiences which foster
creativity, help build self-esteem, and provide effective and
invaluable explorations of culture, cultural heritage, national
identity and community values.