The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The Ministry of Tourism yesterday said it is preparing to expand its Downtown Nassau mural project by requesting more Bahamian artists to “showcase their talent” as others complete their work.

“I’m going to push and encourage artisans to come because tourism is everybody’s business, and our Bahamian artists make up a key component in that whole tourist product,” Anthony Bostwick, senior consultant with the Ministry of Tourism, said. “So what is more beautiful than to have them and I showcase their talent in the space that we are trying to actually rehabilitate?”

Jamaal Rolle, artist and project co-ordinator, added: “I don’t have a definite timeline, but let’s just say in the very near future, and as soon as we roll that out, the next phase, we will make that information ready and available for you.” Mr Bostwick said the Ministry of Tourism has been successful in securing buildings in downtown Nassau to feature artists’ murals.

However, the artists have faced challenges. “You always have weather,” Mr Bostwick said. “And then, you know, we went through our biggest parades, our national Junkanoo parades. And then you had the bleachers that went up that prohibit some of the artists from working on some of the areas that have been designated. And that won’t come down until Junior Junkanoo.

“So those were the only things, from our perspective, that kind of [stop] the actual works being completed in a due timely manner. But other than that, we’re pleased with the work that they’re doing. The results are starting to show. I think we’re going to have a beautiful looking set of murals in the downtown space.

“And I’m sure you’ll soon see more artists being given the opportunity to create their own Bahamian murals in the downtown area. We had these buildings in the downtown area that were just unsightly. But creative artists always see things that, you know, the normal eye does not. And you say, ‘hey, we could paint a beautiful Bahamian piece of art on that space right there to enhance the area’.”

Mr Rolle added: “So far it has gotten great feedback from the public and we have done a few buildings so far. There are more buildings that we have identified, and we are thankful for the business owners to partner with us and giving us the permission and working with us by prepping their buildings for us to create art.

“This is going to be an outdoor museum. I see Nassau’s downtown as being somewhat of an art district. And so the more we add, the better it’s going to look. This is going to go from just two-dimensional art to three-dimensional sculptures. It’s going to involve music. It’s a multi-discipline facet of the arts going to be featured in this downtown redevelopment from the art perspective.”

One of the featured artists, Randia Coakley, said her mural should be completed this week on the Downtown Express building.

“...Once I saw the building I realised how massive it was and had two sides. So I was like: ‘Let me think on how to develop this concept a little bit more,” she added. “So the concept then developed from under the big tree being one element of a swing. And then, when I realised it was two-sided, I decided to turn one side and develop a little bit more to be inclusive of things that kids would do under the big tree in the yard where they would play.

“So it’s a lot of traditional Bahamian games that I would have played, or my mother would have played, or my niece or my nephew and my goddaughters would play. And so what I did is I took these frames that’s on the wall; that’s actually all the windows that they filled in for the building. I turned those frames to be frames of traditional games. 

“You have plaiting maple, climbing a crooked tree and, of course, swinging and other games that bring back traditional games. Because the concept to me was to be beautiful and attract tourists, but also for Bahamians to come down there and admire and see the story of our culture in a realistic way,” Ms Coakley said.

“So I’m putting the plaque there. When we’re finished, it’ll be able to tell the full story so anyone could come there and say: ‘Hey, I understand why this portrait is here’. And that was what I decided to do with that one wall.

“So a couple of elements I wanted to keep was community. I wanted to have culture, wanted to have colour, and wanted to include flora, and the existing floor that’s in the building, I wanted to bring that essence to it. And so one aspect with the community was I wanted to plant planters all along the next side of the building…”