Jcdc jamaica visual arts exhibition catalogue 2017

Programme Overview 2017 The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Visual Arts Unit hosts an art competition, exhibitions and training programmes annually; collaborates with likeminded entities and hosts events geared at promoting Jamaican arts and artists. One major programme of the Unit is the Jamaica Visual Arts Competition & Exhibition that has afforded the unearthing and development of Jamaican art and artists since 1963. The programme targets artists six years and older in seven categories namely: Painting, Works on Paper, Video Art, Photography, Sculpture/Assemblage, Ceramics and Fibre Arts.

Winning artists in the Competition are presented to the public in the National Exhibition in Kingston.

Artists compete for medal awards and certificates and sectional prizes that include trophies, cash, training and showcasing opportunities and art tools and equipment that provide incentives and access to developmental avenues. This year’s prize package is over J$1.4M in value. The Competition & Exhibitions serve as launching pads for the careers of a number of Jamaica's budding artists, enrich the community of local practitioners with new talent and provide opportunities for artists to gain access to the local and international public.

In the years preceeding 2005, the JCDC hosted two separate competitions in the visual arts namely, the National Fine Arts and the National Photography Competitions. In 2005, a restructuring effort of the Visual Arts Unit brought the two competitions under one name – the National Visual Arts Competition by which it was known for two years. In the years 2007-2012, the JCDC had a historic collaboration with the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) to jointly host the annual event.

The current exhibition programme offers interactive and engaging events to the public that are collectively called Main Audience Days. This year we will host Launch & Awards Day, which, as the name suggests, comprises the official launch of the exhibition as well as the awards ceremony.

Through the support of Platinum Sponsor, Tourism Enhancement Fund, now in its tenth year as our sponsor, we have been able to create a stable programme of competition, developmental initiatives, training and showcases. We also have on board Urban Development Corporation now in its ninth year of sponsorship of our competition leg and the Jamaica Conference Centre with who we have deepened our partnership for four years now with the most of the facility for exhibitions throughout the year.