The Tribune

THREE shows open at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas this evening, two of which relate to cultural festivals in theme.

“EN MAS”: Carnival, Junkanoo and Performance Art of the Caribbean explores the influences of carnival and other festivals on street performance art in the Caribbean, North America and Europe.

Curated by Claire Tancons and Krista Thompson, “EN MAS” features the work of artists tracing the origins and developments of festivals through the experiences of slavery, colonialism, migration, independence struggles and civil rights movements. Nine regional artists - the Bahamian John Beadle, Christophe Chassol, Charles Campbell, Nicolás Dumit Estévez, Marlon Griffith, Hew Locke, Lorraine O’Grady, Ebony G Patterson and Cauleen Smith – are featured. It runs until July 10.

“From Columbus to Junkanoo” is a collection of modern, contemporary and conceptual works by 37 artists chosen by Jodi Minnis and Averia Wright that critically explores and references Bahamian history and is intended as an historical memoir. The gallery’s new permanent exhibition, which runs to October 2, features work that features historical events from the 14th century to the present day and which highlights the growth and divergence of Bahamian art beyond the last century.

The exhibition first opened in Santiago, Cuba, in July, 2015, as a component of the Bahamian delegation at the Fiesta del Fuego. The artists exhibited are John Beadle, Lillian Blades, Jackson Burnside, Stan Burnside, Jacob Coonley, John Cox, Eric Ellis, Amos Ferguson, Kendra Frorup, Hildegarde Hamilton, Kendal Hanna, Rolfe Harris, William Henry Jackson, Erica Moiah James, Shan Kelly, Jace McKinney, Sterling Miller, Eddie Minnis, Kishan Munroe, Lavar Munroe, Jackson Petit, Bernard Petit, Ricardo Knowles, E J Read, Antonius Roberts, Roland Rose, John Paul Saddleton, Doc Sands, Milton James Sessions, Dorman Stubbs, Edrin Symonette, Mikhail Symonette, Clive Stuart, Harl Taylor, Max Taylor and Homer Williams.

The self-taught artist Livingston Pratt exhibits 11 paintings in “Genesis: The Beginnings of Souls in Time” in the project space at the gallery.

The exhibitions open at 6.30pm.