Denise Reid, Gleaner Writer

This Aston Martin wood sculpture, entitled 'Woman', is being featured in the Jamgination art exhibition being held at the Round Hill Hotel and Villas until January 16, 2009. - photos by Denise Reid

Jamagination founder and CEO, Wayne Gallimore (right), takes time out to show Peter and Karen Sundlun a publication which provides background information on some of the artists the company features at the recent Jamagination art exhibition.

Western Bureau:

A love of art, which has resulted in some 30 years of collection, is perhaps the driving force behind Wayne Gallimore's art company, Jamagination, which exposes exquisite Jamaican art to art lovers and decorators worldwide.

In the information technology industry for 25 years, Gallimore, whose hobby and passion lay in collecting art for decades, officially opened Jamagination in 2005.

Jamagination features a collection of beautiful and interesting art, which includes painting, sculptures, ceramics, photographs and prints. They also distribute Oxford lithographic prints and giclees. Giclee is an invented name for the process of the making of fine art prints from a digital source using inkjet printing.

Gallimore explained, "The use of giclees came about as a result of my information technology background and a desire to promote Jamaican art." He continued, "The technology facilitates museum quality reproduction at economical cost, so more people can afford to have high-quality Jamaican images."

high quality art

Gallimore, however, stated that the larger part of the business is in the sale of originals. But he stated, "I feel very strongly about giclees because not only does it allow people to own good quality art, but it is an additional source of revenue for artists, and it allows more people to enjoy their (artists) work."

In a positive tone, Gallimore told The Sunday Gleaner that the company has been well-received internationally. "We were invited to the Caribbean Week in Toronto last year, and having very high quality art with a lot of feeling, we got a lot of media interest and sales." He added, "Seneca College (the largest in Canada) and the High Commissioner of Canada have invited us to do a show of Jamaican art for them."

Currently conducting a show at the Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Jamagination has a gallery at Sunset Jamaica Grande, a home gallery off Irish Town Road in St. Andrew, and a virtual gallery. They have had showings at various locations in Jamaica, and Gallimore, who declared, "We have a small but vibrant community of collectors in Jamaica," says the response in Jamaica has been great.

Gallimore intends to develop the business in tourist areas, thus promoting more Jamaican art to visitors who have an interest in art, as it is a tourism product that is sustainable, and is an authentic form of Jamaican craft.

brand Jamaica phenomenon

He also wants to go out into the diaspora communities in places like Toronto, New York and Washington D.C., as well as the rest of the Caribbean.

According to Gallimore, "The whole brand Jamaica phenomenon has taken our music and other aspects of our culture and spread it around the globe, but our art hasn't kept pace with other cultural aspects. The visual culture, I think, is very strong, the work has a lot of feeling and I want to contribute to promoting that aspect of Jamaica."

Errol McKenzie's 'Moon Series I', an original acrylic on canvas, was featured at the Jamagination art exhibition held recently.