81.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCARIBBEAN COLOUR 2001 OPENING SET FOR FEB. 4

CARIBBEAN COLOUR 2001 OPENING SET FOR FEB. 4

The 13th annual Caribbean Colour fine art exhibition will take place Feb. 4-10 in a location where the arts flourish year-round – Pistarckle Theater in Tillett Gardens.
Finding a venue for the show – which in recent years has attracted upwards of 80 professional artists plus students – is a perennial challenge for the St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council, which created Caribbean Colour in 1989 as a modest showcase for its member artists.
That first one was hung in the Reichhold Center for the Arts lobby, as was the fourth. The second and third were in the Fort Christian Museum gallery. Since then, the quest for accessible, affordable, secure and ever-greater space where the art can remain on display for a period of time has taken the show to Taste of Italy, the Old Stone Farmhouse, Tutu Park Mall twice, American Yacht Harbor, Mongoose Junction, Coral World and Port of Sale Mall.
Arts Council board member Lynn Paccassi Berry is chairing the Caribbean Colour 2001 committee. "It's going to be real interesting," she said of the Pistarckle location, which has black walls throughout the theater interior. "There's spot lighting already in there, and we're going to be sure that everything is in good light for the opening reception."
For Berry, the location is ideal. Her own ceramics and bead-art business, Ridvan Studio, is located in Tillett Gardens just steps away from the entrance to the theater.
The Caribbean Colour opening, which traditionally attracts hundreds of art lovers, is set for Sunday, Feb. 4, from 2 to 8 p.m. Many of the artists will be present and there will be music by Vance Hines on keyboards, complimentary finger food and a cash bar.
For the week after that, the show will be open to viewing between 10 a.m. and "at least 6 p.m.," Berry said. "It may go a little later if we attract after-dinner people."
This year's show will include a tribute to two longtime Arts Council member-artists who recently died, Randy Wombold and Eric Winter. A painting by each will be displayed apart from the main hanging area "in acknowledgment of their contributions to art and to the Arts Council," Berry said.
Caribbean Colour consists of artwork self-selected by the participating artists. There are four judging categories – oil painting, water media (watercolor and acrylic), three-dimensional media (sculpture, found objects, clay, etc.) and "everything else" (pastel, drawing, collage, etc.). An artist may exhibit just one work in any given category. Works are to reflect the theme of "Caribbean color" as the artist chooses to interpret it. (The British spelling got in there because one of the first organizers was a Brit – and it stuck.)
Since its inception, the show has become a recognized venue for visitors to view examples of the artistic styles of most of the territory's professional fine artists – all in one place at one time. In recent years, it has included a separately judged student component as well. This year's is open to V.I. youngsters 12 to 18 years of age.
For the Arts Council, a not-for-profit, membership-based arts advocacy organization, Caribbean Colour has traditionally been a prime fund-raising as well as friend-raising event, while at the same time a means of promoting the marketing of member artists' work. An exhibitor must pay a fee of $25 per piece entered ($5 for students) and be or become an Arts Council member (annual dues of $24 individual, $36 family, $6 student).
Artwork shown must be for sale and must have been created in the last four years. Two-dimensional work must be framed and ready to hang and must not exceed 44 by 44 inches including frame. Sculpture must not exceed 44 inches in width/depth and 72 inches in height, including base or pedestal.
All aspects of Caribbean Colour – planning, soliciting entries and sponsors, publicity, producing the catalogue, hanging the show, arranging the reception, sitting the show and taking it down at the end – are done by Arts Council volunteers. Some are exhibitor artists with a vested interest in the success of the show; others may never have painted or potted but believe in the worth of promoting local artists and art.
Cash prizes in the various categories, along with a People's Choice Award to be determined by reception attendees, are awarded from community sponsor funding. The first to renew sponsorships this year, Berry said, were two longtime supporters, the West Indian Company and the V.I. Council on the Arts.
Artists interested in exhibiting and individuals willing to volunteer with any aspect of the show may get further information by contacting Berry by phone at 776-0901 or by e-mail to paccassi@hotmail.com.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.