Widespread support for JCDC arts festival

Jamaicans from all walks of life have embraced this year's National Visual Arts Competition. More than 100 artists have contributed to the 2010 staging.

On Sunday, July 25, the participating artists were presented with medals and certificates and got to view the exhibition which was officially opened by Minister of Culture Olivia 'Babsy' Grange along with Finance Minister Audley Shaw, who doubled as guest speaker at the ceremony.

The National Galley in Kingston was the place to be for art enthusiasts and aspiring artists who came out to view the works of art displayed.

Children's category

In the category of children ages 15 to 18, Desiree Campbell won a bronze medal while Matthew Henry copped silver. For the adult segment Jerome Morgan, David Pinto, Kori Solomon and Talbert Taylor won bronze medals while Michael Parchment, Krystal Moodie and Ann Ventura all won silver awards.

In the sectional prizes category, where winners received trophies and cash awards, Pedro Johnson won in the category of painting; Christopher Harris for works on paper; Julian Dadag and Berrete Macaulay won for photography while Michael Parchment was deemed the winner in sculpture.

Seventeen-year-old Desiree Campbell was voted the youth newcomer, with Krystal Moodie being the adult winner in the same category. The most outstanding youth entrant was Matthew Henry while Krystal Moodie won for being the best emerging artist (under 30). The summit prize for most awards for a school, organisation or group went to Hillel Academy, as did the prize for top art teacher.

In his address, Shaw said there needs to be a revival of standards in Jamaica. "We treat the creative industries far too casually and we need to transform it into an income-generating activity and not just be art for art's sake. We are at a very critical juncture of Jamaica's history. Far too many of our people have fallen into a rut of low productivity and, therefore, it is a time for us to find appropriate niches to rebound. We are not capitalising on the tourism sector. Everything Jamaican has an allure, charm and attraction about it, but we speak in samples rather than doing something big that makes a difference," he said.

The exhibition closes on August 28.