The
Christmas 2008 commemorative stamp issue paid tribute to the Barbados Arts Council (BAC) and features artwork of some talented artists.
According
to Mr. Neville Legall, President of the Barbados Arts Council; “the BAC was inaugurated on December 6th,
1957,
with the then Hugh Springer (later Sir Hugh Springer) its first
president and chairman.” The Council represented various arts forms including music, dance, drama, literary and visual arts. Its aims and objectives include these various art disciplines and acting as a link between Government and the people in matters pertaining to the arts.
At
the third meeting held February 26th, 1958 a decision was made to invite Karl Broodhagen in the capacity of advisor on matters relating to the visual arts. The offer was accepted and he with the assistance of some other pioneers began to transform the Barbadian art and cultural landscape.
In the following years several prominent artists became members of the BAC. Among them were: Fielding Babb, Keith
Blackett, Edmund Gill, Clifford Hobbs, Mr. Hubert Brathwaite, Maurice Drakes,
Briggs Clarke, Oscar Walkes and Joyce Daniel.
The
Chairman notes: “Having attained the milestone of 50 years, the Barbados Arts Council is as crucial today as at any other time of its
existence.
Several Barbadian artists affiliated with the Council have exhibited and gained recognition regionally and internationally over the years. Still many of (Barbados ’) young artists have no place to present their work to the public. The BAC, with limited resources, seeks to provide that avenue and intends to continue in that developmental mode for many more years.”
10c Christmas Moon
Allison Chapman-Andrews
18x18 Acrylic on canvas (collection Madeline Spencer)
Allison
Chapman-Andrews describes her work: “During 2000
people started placing Christmas lights around palm trees, these young palms along the Harbour Road , Bridgetown , were the first I had seen. The person who hung these decorations changed the colours and directions on
each trunk.
“A firework burst, seen through the trees, was the
original inspiration for the background. Painting this proved beyond my skill, so I changed it to the moon. Such a large moon could never appear in nature. Royal palm and moons appear in many of my pictures, but this night scene is unusual.”
50c Preparing for
Christmas
Virgil Broodhagen
Preparing
for Christmas depicts a typical street-scape or village scene in Barbados.
Red
poinsettias are in full bloom complimented by the white flowers of the Snow-on-the-Mountain.
Nostalgia
is evoked by this image of a freshly weeded garden complete with marl and sand strewn to suggest freshly fallen snow. The man on the bicycle is heavily laden with a back pack filled with his Christmas
groceries; while on the bar of the bicycle, he carefully balances a bag containing two
hams – a family favourite at Christmas.
$1.40 Christmas Candles
Darla Trotman
14”x 20” Acrylic on Canvas
$3.00 Poinsettias and Snow on the Mountain
Both
studies represent plants that only flower, in Barbados during the Christmas season.
Many
Barbadians tend to plant Poinsettia and Snow-on-the-Mountain together, creating a beautiful colour contrast when they flower, during the holiday season.
First Day Cover Star
of Hope
Bill Grace
The
star of hope speaks of the transforming potential in right action…
The
power of one.
Each
of us makes a difference: we inform each other’s awareness…
We
are one.
The
artwork is a digital original inspired by the reef and reef life.
Technical Details
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 20 July, 2011.
