Art as a business

Kay Osborne uses Biennial opening to ask for unions between economy and creativity

Erin Hansen, Gleaner Writer

The opening of the fifth National Biennial took place at the National Gallery of Jamaica last weekend, an exploration into two years of Jamaican works from some of the nation's most talented artists.

Guest speaker for the event was general manager of Television Jamaica, Kay Osborne, who was introduced by the National Gallery chairman, Wayne Chen, as a seasoned businesswoman, off-Broadway playwright and artist.

The theme of Osborne's speech was business related as she made connections between art and the development of culture as an economic generator, calling the Biennial an "important milestone" as it demonstrated the current trends in Jamaican art and the building of important themes from previous works.

Economic assets

She asked the attendees of the opening rhetorically, "How do these pieces of art become available to curious persons all over the globe, to those who are becoming increasingly interested in Jamaican culture?"

Osborne then added to the question by noting the importance of the exportation of culture for economic growth, asking, "How do these pieces become larger economic assets?"

Connections between high culture and pop culture in Jamaican art were also made in Osborne's presentation.

As a professional positioned in the television industry, an industry, she noted, which was sincerely pop culture oriented, Osborne suggested that Jamaican art would prosper if high culture and popular culture were to collide by forming "coalitions to establish common goals".

She argued for a "shift in thinking" where new partnerships could be built between popular culture and high culture, in which the incorporation of business mechanisms with these partnerships could generate more economic value for the creative world and Jamaica.

Creative assets

Osborne emphasised to the attendees of the Biennial opening that "creative assets are real assets", an argument that received little disagreement from the attendees who consisted mostly of art enthusiast and academics.

The manifestation of these artistic assets could be seen through the alliance of culture, business, trade and heritage, she said.

Osborne also argued for serious investment from the Jamaican Government in the four sectors to boost eco-nomic development.

The National Biennial exhibits the works of more than 80 artists, many of whom have showed both locally and abroad. The exhibition will be open until March 5, 2011 for viewing at the National Gallery of Jamaica.