Dannis Coy of Union Island celebrates the island’s wildlife in his work Unique pieces of jewellery handcrafted in Mayreau from the spines, fins and tails of the lionfish
Photo: Stanton Gomes
Photo: Nancy Saul-Demers
Cordell “Mandela” Ollivierre stands beside his “seamonster and spear fisherman” carving which he sculpted from an old, dead tree stump along the Belmont Walkway in Bequia Photo: John Nicholson
Goddess Dollies by “Mandela” Ollivierre Photo courtesy Oasis Art Gallery
As we browse among these gifts and souvenirs crafted from nature’s materials, now and then the work of a true artist shines through.
Nzimbu Brown’s detailed scenes crafted with banana fibres
Self-taught Vincentian artist, Peter Providence
where weaving, basket making and pottery are among the skills taught and showcased at regional fairs throughout the year. Visitors can drop by the centres to shop or can meet other crafts makers selling their work underneath the arches on Kingstown’s Bay Street or in the shade of almond trees on baysides from Bequia to Union Island. Some craft makers hope their work will not only delight visually, but also have a wider message. Women of Mayreau, with Nancy Saul-Demers, are handcrafting unique pieces of jewellery from the spines, fins and tails of the lionfish, a voracious invasive predator that threatens traditional fisheries and our marine environment. Felix Browne and Dannis Coy of Union Island also celebrate the island’s wildlife in their work. As we browse among these gifts and souvenirs crafted from nature’s materials, now and then the work of a true artist shines through. Indeed, who but an artist would conjure a green dinosaur made of flower petals? Strange wooden faces by Cordell “Mandela” Ollivierre, carved whales and scrimshaw by Bequian Richie King, Nzimbu Brown’s detailed scenes crafted with banana fibres and Jessie Knights-Hope’s flower art, to name just some – all speak of Vincentians’ wealth of artistic talent never learned at school. One person who recognised this rich seam was the late Tracy Connell, a Vincentian actor, singer and dancer, and above all lover of arts and culture. After returning from his travels abroad he got to know our native artists and saw their urgent need for an exhibition space; his family had opened Kingstown’s Bounty Restaurant in 1968 and Tracy worked with them to create what became the Bounty Restaurant and Art Gallery – the only commercial gallery our nation’s capital has known. It was here at “The Bounty” that many of us first saw the work of now well-known, and collectible, artists such as Dinks Johnson, Josette Norris, Peter Providence, Gary Peters, Dr. Vivian Childs and the late Joseph Esquina. After 20 years under the proprietorship of Tracy and his wife Toni, sadly The Bounty closed its doors in 2012. Today some of this art may still be seen in St. Vincent at occasional exhibitions organised by Art in Action, the Department of Culture, the National Trust, or the Alliance Française. With a few ‘naïve’ exceptions, this is a body of quality artwork by self-taught artists who had mastered watercolour techniques or worked with oils on canvas. Most are realists, portraying village life and fishing scenes, the people and landscapes of their lives and as they do so, documenting these years in the life of our country.
16 The Section Crafts & Visual Arts of SVG