The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

A RETROSPECTIVE exhibition of poster art depicting productions featured in Shakespeare in Paradise Festival opened last week. The exhibition features art created by sixteen Bahamian and resident artists for the 30 shows that have been presented by the festival.

T-shirts, photos and memorabilia, poster art created by participants in the Young Artist’s Programme for the Shakespeare in Paradise theatre festival were on display at the event, hosted by Popop Studios Center for the Visual Arts.

Participating artists included Lindsay Braynen, Stephen Catalano, June Collie, Rashad Ferguson, Zyandric Jones, Kachelle Knowles, Jace Mckinney, Jeffrey Meris, Jon Murray, Trevaughn Neely, Bernard Petit, Khia Poitier, Reuno Pratt, Amy Salter, Charlthorn Strachan, Matthew Wildgoose and Julia Ames.

The festival has produced five signature Shakespearean productions, 14 Bahamian productions and presented 11 international productions. The exhibition is divided into three spaces: Shakespearean, Bahamian and International.

Julia Ames, art director for the festival, said after five years they believed now is the appropriate time to celebrate the artists who have contributed over the years.

“Personally I just thought it was really wonderful work and it was worth celebrating. I just thought that this would be an appropriate time. It is a small milestone for us. After this season we would have had 30 productions, so there are thirty different images in the show. I thought it would also put a spotlight on the importance of visual arts in promoting events and just as an art form in itself. Usually we take that sort of platform for granted. There is a lot of work that goes into creating the posters,” she said.

The Young Artists Programme was established to give art students and young professional artists the opportunity to hone their craft and to expand their portfolios. Young artists are approached to design the posters, said Ms Ames, who works closely to help the artists with the finished products.

She is also a seasoned graphic designer and illustrator and helps in transforming the images to industry standard graphics.

“Usually around April, I ask Nicolette if she has a her lineup already and if she has a summary of the plays. I send the summary to artists who I think would be interested. Sometimes I might just pick one person to do the poster for a particular play. From there I ask them to do two or three sketches, just linear or outline just to show the composition that they are thinking of because sometimes it depends on the production,” she said.

Ms Ames said sometimes the Shakespeare in Paradise executive group have very strong ideas of what they believe the poster for the signature plays should look like, therefore their creative involvement in those particular posters are necessary.

“They have very strong feelings about would it should be and that usually that happens with the Shakespearean production. There are a number of sketches that are done. They are fine tuned or sometimes changed all together. It can sometimes be very time consuming. It is like two months going back and forth,” she said.

The finished posters Ms Ames said are used on the website and in the programme booklet by Shakespeare in Paradise and reproduced as wearable art on limited edition t-shirts. The shirts are sold at productions and given to sponsors or saved as collectibles to be sold at future festivals.

An auction of the poster art is set for October 13 at the gallery.