The Art Society of Mt. Hope – Rhapsody in Blue

 
The Art Society of Mt. Hope held their third annual Art Gala titled “Rhapsody in Blue” on Saturday 4th April, 2015, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Learning Resource Centre. The theme of the event was a throwback to the 1920s and 1930s Gatsby era and involved a diverse display of art from both up and coming and experienced artistes. Along with the artwork, fine wine, gourmet food, and music, guests were also treated to a unique selection of classic and vintage vehicles on display.

 
This Art Gala was conceptualised by Art Society founder Srikanth Rao who saw the need to highlight lesser known talented artists. The idea came after Rao encountered a gifted artist who expressed that there were not many platforms for him to share his work. At that point, Rao decided to create the Art Society of Mt. Hope to give artists, especially those not formally trained in art and who do not have platforms to share their talent, a space. This Art Society is run by students studying medicine at the Mount Hope Medical Science Faculty of UWI St. Augustine. It started with just a few artists in the first year and quickly grew this year to sixty-three artists which translated into two hundred and eighty-three pieces of art on display at the gala.

 
Upon arrival at the Learning Resource Centre, guests were greeted and escorted to the main entrance of the gala which echoed the Roaring Twenties, Gatsby-theme. During the course of the evening, many took the opportunity to be photographed next to their favourite cars. The spacious venue was decorated with white chiffon ceiling swags over blue covered tables, accentuated with white feather center pieces which helped to create a dramatic atmosphere. With many guests dressed fashionably in styles reminiscent of a past era, the evening was indeed an elegant affair.

 
Art Society Founder Srikanth Rao welcomed guests to the gala and commended the present president of the Society Khavi Singh on carrying on the legacy that was started. Within this he concluded that people can look forward to more nights of elegance and excellence. On the heels of Rao’s welcoming address, Singh expressed gratitude to the hardworking members of the society who worked at putting the event together and to the guests who came to lend support to the artists. He shared that the proceeds of the event will go towards the Bedtime Stories Initiative which has the vision of building two libraries. Also addressing guests was vice president of the Art Society, Kodi Lourenco who shared that the gala invoked a mixture of emotions: happiness at the success of the event, excitement, and even sadness that it will soon end. Though the art pieces were the focal point of the night, guests were treated to live performances by a few of the medical sciences students who demonstrated their musical talents.

 
Eartha Baptiste, one of the featured artists at the exhibition had several pieces on display. Working in the medium of wood, Eartha shared that she is inspired by nature and experiences that she has had in the past: “The purpose of my art is to send a message, or when you look at the pieces it will awaken memories in your subconscious self about who you are, and who you can be. It shows how you can take something and make it into something.” She further expressed that some of the pieces are twenty and thirty years old, and are no longer for sale. In this light she expressed, “What I would like is to have the pieces there to rekindle in people who they are.” Her polished wooden sculptures clearly reflected her natural and organic influences with the details of many pieces speaking to a strong African influence.

 
Maya Ramesar, one of the young artists featured at the exhibition expressed that her paintings at the show were a part of a wider collection of twenty-five pieces. She described her work as a reaction to growing up around Caribbean art and seeing dreamy, idealistic vignettes of faceless people and wanting to do something that was more “now”. One of her favourite paintings was inspired by her observations of a strange and dangerous night-time view from her workplace. She described Trinidad as sometimes a discouraging space for artists as if you are not doing science, law or medicine the view is “What are you doing”?

 
Ian Gill, another artist at the exhibition had twenty-five pieces of his artwork at the gala. He shared that this exhibition was his first exhibition in eighteen years. Through the medium of acrylic[b/] paints, Gill manifests the inspiration drawn from the landscapes, scenes and people encountered in his travels. His early artistic influences came from the work of William Turner, the English artist who specialised in watercolour landscapes and John Constable, the English Romantic landscape painter. Indeed, landscapes were dominant in Ian’s collection, from the view of the giant mill to the detailed and colour depictions of the natural environment including waterfalls, lush mountains, the ocean view and vibrant horizons.

 
The art gala was a welcome initiative to showcase the work of artists that persons would not easily encounter in other art spaces. The Gatsby theme with the vintage car show certainly added nicely to the ambiance of the gala with guests enjoying themselves both inside and outside the hall.

The Art Society of Mt. Hope presents Rhapsody in Blue in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=817524