2004-10-22 13:32:08

Art In The Making

Members of the arts community in The Bahamas have organised what is now known as the International Professional Artists Symposium and Exchange (IPASE), a first-of-its kind project to be held in The Bahamas, from Friday, 15th October through Tuesday, 15th November.

For a full month, two well known Bahamian artists, Antonius Roberts and John Cox will join Daniel Couvreur of Italy, Ernst Joseph of Haiti and Lisa Roggli of the United States to create and display individual works of painting and sculpture, each doing their respective pieces in full view of patrons and spectators.

Mr. Roberts is the creator of the coveted Bahamas Web Awards trophy sculpture that will be awarded at the Bahamas Web Awards luncheon on Friday, 10 December at the British Colonial Hilton.

Room number 24 in the "T" Block of The College of The Bahamas' Oakes Field campus has been transformed into a multi-faceted art studio.  There will also be an exchange of ideas, from which visitors - from an intimate vantage point - can learn about the way artists think, plan and arrive at a particular piece of artwork.

The event promises to be significant and culturally rich for The Bahamas, as Cox and Roberts, two of the country's very best contemporary artists match their head-to-hand talent and exchange ideas on cultural styles and techniques with their international counterparts.

The College of The Bahamas, as one of the patrons of the event, recognizing the value of the symposium to its community of faculty and students, is providing the studio space for the entire month.

Other patrons of the Symposium and Exchange are: Reverend Clint Kemp and the New Providence Community Centre, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, The Tribune Newspaper, SuperClubs Breezes Resort, Burns House Ltd., Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Law, The Embassy of The Republic of Haiti, Lisa Wells of Benelda Web Design and The Bahamas Portal - Bahamas B2B.

Ms Wells, whose Bahamas Web design firm created the IPASE website said, "I am pleased to be able to contribute something to a project that helps further develop the arts community in the Bahamas while exposing Bahamian artists to an international audience."

Sponsors of the artists include Mr. Franklyn Welson and his wife Senator Sharon Welson, Mrs. Eleanor Whitely - Chairperson of the IPASE Committee, Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Everett and The Endowment for the Performing Arts.

At the end of the month long symposium, a gala art exhibition, showcasing all of the work created by the five artists will be displayed at the New Providence Community Centre, on Blake Road.

For more information see the International Professional Artists Symposium and Exchange website