Wandeka Gayle, Freelance Writer

The display area at the Mandeville Art Fair showing a variety of artwork presented for sale.

When former head of the Catholic Diocese of Mandeville, Bishop Paul Boyle, held the first art fair in his home in Mandeville, he may not have foreseen how much the project would have grown 16 years later.

Now the project showcases hundreds of works and includes crafts, ceramics and prints. But one thing remains constant - the thrust to aid Catholic owned charities - inclusive of boys' homes, homes for the indigent and elderly, Catholic schools and orphanages - while simultaneously initiating young artists into the art world and highlighting our Jamaican masters.

Without great fanfare or even grand opening speeches, this year's three-day Mandeville Art Fair, held at the Mount St. Joseph Primary School hall last Thursday, showcased more than 300 original pieces from popular to virtually unknown Jamaican artists, and attracted from the art connoisseur to the budding art student.

The art fair showcased approximately 690 pieces - inclusive of 350 original paintings, 280 prints and 60 ceramic, sculpture and pottery pieces.

"It has become the premier event in Mandeville and we try to target young artists as well as popular Jamaican artists," said Sister Susan Frazer, co-chair of the organising committee, citing headliners like Colin Garland's $4 million oil piece entitled 'To Get Name', Lennox Coke's 'Afternoon Shade' and Viv Logan's 'Red Red Wine'.

Donated art work

She said that they earn money by adding a percentage to the contributed works as well as from the sale of donated art work.

"We take a percentage, much like the art galleries do," she said, "and sometimes artists donate one piece so full proceeds of that go to the art fair."

While she was not able to give a figure of this year's earnings, as sales continue even after the pieces are dismounted, Frazer said this year was a success. She added that last year they earned more than $2 million for seven different charities.

This year, the project was funded by more than 30 sponsors, the main one being Dehring Bunting and Golding and organised by a 12-person committee including Davan Chung and Sharon Chamberlain.

To continue a tradition started only last year, this year Francis Troyan, a final-year art major at Edna Manley School for the Performing and Visual Arts, who featured a $25,000 metal sculpture entitled 'Jah Molias', will receive a scholarship of one year's tuition fee.