The Tribune

By Jessica Andre

THROUGHOUT the month of August, the Doongalik Studios Art Gallery and the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas are hosting their second annual art supply drive to help students fulfill their creative dreams.

Tomorrow, the NAGB will be showcasing some of the artwork done by the L W Young Junior School art programme participants who were among the recipients of last year’s supply drive.

The exhibit takes place in the Project Space at 7pm.

Jordia Benjamin, a former education officer at NAGB, and Orchid Burnside of the Doongalik Studios Art Gallery, started the drive last August after learning that students were unable to purchase even the most rudimentary supplies such as art pencils.

The Customs rate for art supplies is currently at 45 per cent, which makes them very expensive and a low priority. “Students should at least have the tools available to them to maximise their interest and potential. We decided then to launch the drive as a very simple solution to a long ignored problem,” said Ms Burnside.

The art supply drive was able to give several boxes of materials to L W Young Junior High and C R Walker Senior High last year. The schools were picked because of their locations.

“We wanted to start in our own communities.” Ms Burnside told Art’s and Entertainment.

After such a successful inaugural drive, she said they are anticipating similar events in the future. “I am really looking forward to hosting a annual event every August. Ultimately, our goal is to add more galleries and adopting more schools throughout the Bahamas,” she said.

“We have an opportunity and obligation as a community to impact the art education system. With your help we can place paintbrushes in a child’s hand and drive the dream.”

The art supply drive’s co-founder, Ms Benjamin, said: “Even the smallest donation of an art pencil or eraser can put a dent in shortage of art materials in the classrooms. Materials in high demand include pencils, sketch paper, coloured pencils, erasers, charcoal, watercolours, brushes, small canvases, acrylics, clay and pastels. Of course, as a matter of convenience, we will also accept monetary donations and can purchase supplies on behalf of contributors.”

Before leaving the NAGB, Ms Benjamin put together a dossier of lesson plans for teachers from the schools that are not receiving donations. They are accessible via the gallery. To learn more about this programme, teachers can contact Jackson Petit at jpetit@nagb.org.bs or call at 328-5800.

Donations can be dropped off at the Doongalik Studios Art Gallery as well as the NAGB during the entire month of August. A presentation of supplies will be made at the beginning of the school year.

“I’d also like to mention that we will also do art pick-up,” Ms Burnside said. “If persons have a fair to large amount of supplies and it is inconvenient for them to drop the supplies at either location we will come and collect them.”