JCDC contests launch young local talent

Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter

THE TALENT among Jamaicans, in dance, music, culinary arts, and the visual arts often fascinates, and, as many impact on local and international cultural stages, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) continues to play a pivotal role in unearthing and showcasing these talents.

The National Fine Arts and Photography competitions, organised annually at summer, serve as a springboard for the development of promising artists and photographers, while providing the opportunity for the public to view the talent that will be available in the future.

Today, many famous photographers and artists speak proudly of their initial exposure through these competitions, and continue to give strong support.

Fine example

President of the Jamaican Artists and Craftsmen Guild, Vivienne Logan, for example, is a fine example of the latent talent the JCDC continues to unearth.

Ms. Logan told The Sunday Gleaner that although she had come a "far way" in her personal growth and success as a professional artist, she remembers when she first entered the Festival Fine Arts contest.

"It was in 1999, and, as a first time entrant, I was overawed to receive the sole gold medal awarded that year," she said.

She had actually begun painting for therapy following major surgery in 1996, and "the award from the JCDC was what prompted me to take my artistic talent seriously."

As she further explained: "That gold medal from the JCDC along with the favourable reception from the media was what catapulted my career into the public eye and helped to enhance my reputation as an artist."

In fact, she contends that "I got much more recognition with that JCDC award that I would have received exhibiting my work in the National Gallery."

In the 2000 competition, Ms. Logan received a silver medal, and since then she has pursued her artistic career with an abundance of energy.

For artist Alphanso Blake, the competition has also proven beneficial. In 1996, the first year he entered the fine arts competition, he received two certificates of merit.

"I still have those framed certificates on my wall," he told The Sunday Gleaner, "as they made a statement to me that my work had the possibility of ranking with other established artists."

Mr. Blake has been painting professionally since 1989, but since then he has had several solo exhibitions, as well as participated in group shows in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries."

Heidi Leith, visual arts co-ordinator at the JCDC, told The Sunday Gleaner that "while the commission cannot take full credit for the development of an artist's career, for the most part, we have played a significant role in discovering and promoting artistic talent."

The JCDC's stated mandate is to "unearth, develop, expose and promote the creative talents and cultural expressions of Jamaicans".

Promotion

Exposure and promotion is certainly the attraction for upcoming sculptor Michael Robinson, who will be entering the competition for the first time this year. An innovator, who has been practising sculpture and assemblage art for four years, he has had several solo exhibitions and participated in other group shows, including the "Young Generation" at the Mutual Life Gallery.

He is excited that the winning exhibits in the Festival Fine Arts competition will be displayed at the Mutual Life Gallery.

"It is a prestigious, forward-thinking gallery, and I can look forward to certain exposure to art-lovers and collectors," Mr. Robinson said.

Not that he is averse to collecting one of the top awards in the competition, as "such a national recognition of my talent would be quite an achievement."

He believes, however, that the JCDC, should make a greater effort to increase the cash prizes made to winners, as well as improve the marketing of the competition.

"The JCDC needs to make the competition more attractive to younger artists like myself, then there might be a more dynamic show," Mr. Robinson said.

Several younger artists contacted by The Sunday Gleaner admitted that they will not be entering the Festival competition this year, but are concentrating on the recently-launched "Artist of the Year" competition with cash prizes of $150,000.

Ms. Logan lamented this development, suggesting the need for the artistic community to pool resources to promote excellence: "I don't know that we need so many annual competitions, as this reduce energies and synergies that should be pooled, for example in the festival competition, to create higher standards, and a better competition. The festival competition must be encouraged and supported as a conduit for young talent."

Some artists like Everton Mitchener, for example, are not allowing themselves to be distracted by controversy or debate as they prepare for the competition. Mr. Mitchener has been painting professionally for over 17 years, and has participated in the festival competitions annually since 1984. He said he enters mainly to expose his art to the marketplace.

"I don't enter with thoughts about winning," Mr. Mitchener explained. "The competition provides a medium for showcasing talent and I am capitalising on this."

As a juried competition, he believes that certain criteria can be improved, as well as the practice of producing a catalogue as in early years.

"To me, such a visual record afforded both the artists and art lover a chance to watch the artist's development over the year and trace his progress."

Ms. Leith said the JCDC continually upgrades the competition, despite a severe shortage of funding and resources. The JCDC is working to provide scholarship and other tangible prizes to winners in future competitions.

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