Grenadian Communities on Belgrafix.com

BACKGROUND

The Grenada Arts Council (GAC) is a tax-exempt organisation which began with a group of art enthusiasts in 1964. Forty-two years on, it is still is a 100% volunteer NGO, whose day to day management is overseen by a core group of seven. These volunteers are either artists in their own right or other business professionals who consistently and unstintingly give of their time and personal resources to ensure that the one organisation dedicated to the visual arts of Grenada continues to exist. The GAC is responsible for approximately 200 creative persons in the state, and functions without government funding and without consistent corporate sponsorship. The members of the core group are

The GAC’s Annual Exhibition is the highlight event of the year. The exhibition held barely six months after hurricane Ivan was the best attended with the most entries in recent memory. Grenada’s artists are also promoted through hosted shows. Our artists have proudly represented Grenada at shows in Barbados, Trinidad, Florida, and currently in London.

Last December, Susan Mains, PhD and Oliver Benoit, PhD presented papers on the state of art in Grenada at a Global Fire Conference in Austria, with an invitation to present at the 2007 conference. Grenada’s name is getting out. This February, two shows are travelling to Florida and to New York.

As a direct result of the success of last November’s ‘Buy Grenada Craft Fair’ coordinated by a member of the GAC, USAID/CARANA Corporation has opted to work with the GAC as the organisation best able to carry forward the craft initiative. Under the Grenada Business Agriculture Revitalization (GBAR) Project, the council has been challenged with the addition of the handmade crafts sector to its portfolio under the Artisan Support Programme, funded by USAID.

Over the next year, the GAC will facilitate hands on craft training by select local craft persons, craft markets, group exhibitions of craft in various medium, and is attempting to secure funding to host a six week summer programme of art and craft geared toward stimulating self-employment for youth through the handmade crafts sector. Under this programme, the GAC will focus on the rejuvenation of traditional skills, to create functional and aesthetically desirable craft products, with particular emphasis on available resources, indigenous materials and culturally relevant design.

`The USAID grant has made possible a one year lease of secretariat and gallery space, retail space, training rooms and storage facility at the Grenada Craft Centre, Lagoon Road, St George’s. Prior to this occurrence, the GAC functioned out of the homes and offices of the core group and other friends. At the end of 2006, without adequate funding to secure leased premises for at least five years, the GAC will once again operate out of the home and offices of the core group.

The Collection was established in 1995 to keep an archive of Grenadian art in Grenada. This collection is made possible by contributions received by private or corporate bodies specifically for this purpose. At the start of each GAC Annual Exhibition, one or more pieces are bought with these contributions as Purchase Awards.

Previous contributors to the Purchase Awards include Barclays Bank, Caribbean Art Search Foundation, Grenada Bank of Commerce, Grenada Cooperative Bank, Jonas Browne and Hubbard, Home Industries Association, Quinn Company Limited, First Caribbean International Bank, RBTT Bank, Grenada National Lottery Authority, Cable and Wireless and Grenadian General Insurance Company Limited.

The GAC launched an Art Museum Fund in February 2001 at the Grenada Cooperative Bank, in an effort to bring to the people of Grenada an art resource centre and museum, to showcase Grenadian art. Towards the very special endeavour, the GAC gratefully accepts all donations, large or small, corporate or individual at any branch of the Grenada Cooperative Bank, account number 400000322.

The GAC’s long-term objective is to establish a fully appointed multi-functional Art Museum and Resource Centre. This centre will provide a nexus for research and display, to coordinate and support projects and activities to provide employment and skills development opportunities for artisans (visual artists and crafts persons) and contribute to the development of the arts and crafts industry.

In December 2005, the GAC met with Prime Minister Mitchell at his office, to discuss the status and impact of the visual arts in Grenada.

The GAC spoke at length about the need for a permanent space to display Grenada’s visual art and craft and the economic potential of the creative art industry. The GAC also spoke about the use of local artwork on Grenada’s stamps; a national travelling portfolio of visual artwork to promote global awareness of our artists and fiscal incentives to boost the local purchasing of visual art and fine craft.

The discussions also touched on the need to nationally recognise our elder artists for their contribution to the visual arts in Grenada, as well as the need to allocate a department within government with specific responsibility for art and the needs of artists.

The GAC participates in events which are important to national development, including the National Export Strategy Committee (Handicraft), and the National Monuments Naming Committee.

The GAC welcomes one time private and corporate donations, assistance to secure funding to establish the Art Museum and Resource Centre and assistance to secure international hosted exhibitions to showcase Grenada’s visual creativity.