In an ongoing effort to expose children and young people to various forms of art, this summer The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is expanding its hands on workshops to include not only one-day art sessions but a special programme called the Play Ground Project and a summer camp geared toward alternative photography methods.
The summer programme begins on Saturday, June 4 with a Metal Workshop by renowned Bahamian artist and blacksmith Tyrone Ferguson. This session to be followed by a Kite-Making workshop, Glassworks and a special session on Caricatures and Comic Book Art, later in the summer.
The Play Ground Project is slated for three consecutive Saturdays beginning June 25 and will be headed by the NAGBs Education Officer, John Cox. It’s an opportunity for small groups of students and or professional artists to collaborate on site … specific installations on the NAGB grounds. This first installation follows the style of contemporary Korean artist Do-Ho Suh.
The Summer Art Camp in Alternative Photography will run everyday from July 18 through July 30 at the National Art Gallery. Blue Curry and Heino Schmid, both professional photographers and rising artists on the Bahamian contemporary art scene, will supervise the camp. This course is designed to engage interested students in the visual and aesthetic possibilities of photography as an art and alternative photography as an accessible medium.
Students will be introduced to the history of photography. They will learn how to build cameras, principles of photographic composition, correct darkroom procedures, film development and alternative photography techniques that allow images to be developed on all types of surfaces and objects.
More Information on these sessions is available from the National Art Gallery at 328.5800. Details of the programme schedule are listed below.
Summer Youth Programmes
Metalwork
Date: Saturday, June 4 and Saturday, June 11
Time: 10-1 p.m.
Instructor: Tyrone Ferguson
Age: 10-18 years
Fee: $5 members and $8 non-members
Description: Renowned artist and blacksmith Tyrone Ferguson will introduce participants to the basic principles of welding and shaping metal as an art process. Participants will then assist Mr Ferguson in the construction of a metal door that will be both artistic and functional. Once completed, the door will be permanently installed for use at the National Art Gallery.
Kite-Making
Date: Saturday June 18
Time: 10-1 p.m..
Instructor: David Weech
Age: 8 +
Fee: $5 members and $8 non-members
Description: On this Father’s Day weekend, the Gallery is providing the perfect opportunity for fathers to accompany their children in an awesome activity. Learn the fundamentals of making kites and make your own under the tutelage of David Weech.
Caricatures and Comic Book Art
Date: Saturday, Aug. 6
Time: 10-1p.m.
Instructors: Steven Burrows and Jolyon Smith
Age: 10-18 years
Fee: $5 members and $8 non-members
Description: Ever wondered how Sideburns, Sip Sip and John Lodi create their images? Have you been fascinated by comic book art and tried to make your own comic strip or book? If so, come out to this wonderful workshop that will educate and entertain you while teaching the basics of cartooning.
Alternative Photography
Instructors: Heino Schmid and Blue Curry
Dates: July 18-30
Time: 9:30-2 p.m. (some days are full work days and will run from 9-5 p.m.)
Location: NAGB
Age: 12+
Fee: $80 members, $100 non-members
This course is designed to engage interested students in the visual and aesthetic possibilities of photography as an art and alternative photography as an accessible medium.
Students will be introduced to the history of photography. They will learn how to build cameras, principles of photographic composition, correct darkroom procedures and film development and alternative photography techniques that allow images to be developed on all types of surfaces and objects, and produces images with very particular characteristics.
Syllabus available upon request.
The Playground Project
Date: Saturday, June 25, July 2 and July 9
Time: 10-2 p.m.
Location: NAGB
Instructor: John Cox
Age: 14 +
Fee: $20 members, $30 non-members (Includes three sessions)
The Gallery is always seeking new ways to include the local art community in projects designed both to stimulate artistic growth and enhance our environment. This summer, the NAGB will officially launch its Play Ground project. This project is an opportunity for small groups of students and or professional artists to collaborate on site-specific installations on the NAGB grounds. They are formulated as group collaborations under the direction of a member of the Gallery’s staff. Our first installation will be done in the following the style of contemporary Korean artist Do-Ho Suh.
“Best known for his intricate sculptures that defy conventional notions of scale and site-specificity, Suh’s work draws attention to the ways viewers occupy and inhabit public space. In several of the artist’s floor sculptures, viewers are encouraged to walk on surfaces composed of thousands of miniature human figures. …Whether addressing the dynamic of personal space versus public space, or exploring the fine line between strength in numbers and homogeneity, Do-Ho Suh’s sculptures continually question the identity of the individual in today’s increasingly trans-national, global society.” Art 21: Art in the Twenty-First Century.
