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Support the "Out & Bad: Ebony G. Patterson" Exhibition
Please support contemporary Caribbean art featuring Ebony G. Patterson
The Bermuda National Gallery (BNG) is delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition, opening January 20, 2012, featuring the artwork of talented, award –winning Jamaican artist Ebony G. Patterson. In order to ensure the success of this exhibition the BNG is requesting partnership with associations, such as the West Indian Association of Bermuda and Jamaican Association of Bermuda, individuals like yourself, and companies, all of whom are invested in the vibrancy of Caribbean culture in Bermuda. Please take a moment to consider becoming a Friend of the Exhibition.
Why is this exhibition an important one?
This exhibition explores an area of popular culture, specifically examining the identity of a powerful demographic in the island context, young black men. Ebony G. Patterson's artwork is very much a reflection on the ways in which young black men shape their identities within the Jamaican dancehall culture, and in this reflection she posits the question: How do these young men craft their masculinity?
In an island culture where young black men are on the cover of the newspapers for rounds of violence, here the artist repositions the young black male as one who is actively re-creating themselves in a manner that challenges the stereotypical notion of what it is to be young and black in an island culture. Here, in this artwork, power is accessed not with gangs and guns, but through creative, individual expression.
Why is this exhibition relevant to Bermuda?
Jamaican dancehall culture is a space for liberal, free expression. In this space, dominated by thumping music and aggressive lyrics, the male artists are also creative in their fashion and personal expression through poses, posturing, and symbols.
In Bermuda, young people, boys and girls/ men and women, are also exploring their creative identities in relation to fashion and music, and are also very much aware of and sensitive to popular trends and ideas. Ebony G. Patterson's artwork will speak to this group, and provide a forum for dialogue around these same issues within our own community.
Why is this relevant to the Bermuda National Gallery?
The mission of the BNG is to inspire our world with art. We accomplish this by hosting exhibitions that include a wide demographic; exhibitions which expose the island to unique art forms; and thereby include the community in the international discourse on what is art and how does it impact.
One of the gallery's core values is inclusivity. This exhibition by Ebony G. Patterson allows access to a specific target audience and culture that has not yet been given such limelight in our museum space, while fostering relationships with the Jamaican and Caribbean cultures resident in Bermuda. Further, Patterson is an emerging, highly recognized artist who was awarded the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture, 2006; this is the highest award that a young person can receive in this field in Jamaica.
In order for the BNG to fulfill the vision of becoming a culturally relevant art museum that belongs to the community, it is critical that we host exhibitions of this nature, which mirror aspects of society while raising important questions at the same time.
Who is Ebony G. Patterson?:
Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1981, Ebony G. Patterson graduated from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in 2004, where she received an Honors Diploma in Painting, and from Sam Fox College of Art and Design at the Washington University in St. Louis in 2006 , with a Masters in Fine Arts in Printmaking and Drawing. She is an Assistant Professor in Painting and Drawing at the University of Kentucky, Lexington KY. She lives and works in Kingston, Jamaica and Lexington, KY.
Patterson has participated in several group exhibitions in Jamaica and abroad since 2001. She is the recipient of several awards and scholarships both abroad and in her home country. These include the Prime Minister Youth Award for Excellence in Art and Culture 2006; the SuperPlus Under 40 Artist of the Year 2005; the Young Alumni Award of Distinction 2011 by her alma mater Washington University in St. Louis; and most recently, the 2011 Rex Nettleford Fellowship for Cultural Studies. Her works are in several private and public collections. Patterson has been recently added the invited artists list for the National Biennial and currently she is the youngest artist on the list.
How can you get involved?
Exhibitions at the BNG are funded entirely by private donations and corporate sponsorship. Please consider joining us as a Friend of the Exhibition. Your donation will ensure the success of the exhibition and the parallel education programming, reaching schools, the wider community, and guests. Donors will be acknowledged in a printed catalogue, in the museum, and on the BNG website.
Your encouragement and support is most greatly appreciated.
Click "document" to download donation form.
Documents
Friends of Ebony Patterson exhibition donation form.pdf
