Category: Art

ICYMI in Jamaica, November 3, 2020: The Illegal Party Edition

November 5, 2020

We could also call this the “U.S. Election Edition,” since many Jamaicans have been nervously following that particular emotional rollercoaster. Why are Jamaicans so engaged? Well, as people say, “When the U.S. sneezes, we catch cold.” We are geographically so close and many of us have family there. South Florida is nicknamed “Kingston 21” – … More ICYMI in Jamaica, November 3, 2020: The Illegal Party Edition

ICYMI in Jamaica, August 25, 2020: COVID-19, Elections, COVID Parties, and Laura

August 26, 2020

Last week was an anxious week. The pandemic has infiltrated every aspect of our lives now, both at a personal, local and national level. And there’s more than a dash of politics, to give it some spice. Tropical Storm (now Hurricane) Laura gave us a rough time as it passed by. And we are now … More ICYMI in Jamaica, August 25, 2020: COVID-19, Elections, COVID Parties, and Laura

Crowdfunding Campaign to Publish Biographies of Marcus Garvey and Mary Seacole

August 25, 2020

Jamaican entrepreneur and publisher Tanya Batson-Savage, not in the least intimidated by the current COVID-related economic uncertainties, has come up with a great way to move forward with a new project aimed at Jamaican young people through her company, Blue Banyan Books. She is that kind of determined entrepreneurial woman. I agree with Tanya: children … More Crowdfunding Campaign to Publish Biographies of Marcus Garvey and Mary Seacole

On Coloring Caribbean Birds and Attempting to Sketch Them

July 19, 2020

Are you artistic – or a budding artist? Do you love nature? Or do you just need some good therapy, in these stressful times? If you check any one of these boxes, then BirdsCaribbean’s latest coloring book is for you. It was produced for the annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) and then, as the … More On Coloring Caribbean Birds and Attempting to Sketch Them

“Born Ya” by Judy Ann MacMillan: A Jamaican Painter’s Restless Life

May 28, 2020

But I man on ya, I man born ya/I nah leave ya fi go America/No way say, pot a boil ya, a belly full ya/Sweet Jamaica This song was recorded in the turbulent mid-1970s by a rather jolly and amusing reggae singer named Pluto Shervington. It is a somewhat patriotic song, almost defiant in a … More “Born Ya” by Judy Ann MacMillan: A Jamaican Painter’s Restless Life

Earth Day 2020 in the Time of COVID-19: Lessons We Are Learning

April 22, 2020

It is the eve of Earth Day 2020 (Wednesday, April 22) and its fiftieth anniversary. Last year, I collected a bunch of inspirational quotes and did some philosophizing. 2020 is a historic occasion, which we will celebrate online while something else – something almost beyond our imagination – is unfolding in our lives. Like most periods … More Earth Day 2020 in the Time of COVID-19: Lessons We Are Learning

COVID-19 Good Stuff (Don’t We Have Enough of the Bad Stuff?) from Jamaica

March 27, 2020

Life in the Time of COVID-19. It’s hard not to keep focusing on the rising numbers, the gloomy predictions and the heart-wrenching stories of pain and loss. We are living in Strange Days. To be honest I am also getting tired of the attempts at humor online that sometimes fall terribly flat (my sense of … More COVID-19 Good Stuff (Don’t We Have Enough of the Bad Stuff?) from Jamaica

Kingston Creative Takes You to Trench Town – Tomorrow

February 28, 2020

The name “Trench Town” is almost legendary, with strong links to music (Bob Marley, of course, and many others), sports and more. But have you ever been there? Now is your chance to see and find out so much more about the community, which has struggled through difficult times and continues to face challenges. But Trench … More Kingston Creative Takes You to Trench Town – Tomorrow

The Natural History Museum’s Earth Day Arts Competition for Children and Youth: Deadline March 9!

February 24, 2020

The Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ), a division of the Institute of Jamaica, is inviting entries for its 2020 Earth Day Competition, which has the theme: Countdown to 2030: Vision of a Healthy Environment.  As Earth Day reaches its milestone 50th anniversary in April 2020, nature and the environment are facing incredible and unprecedented challenges … More The Natural History Museum’s Earth Day Arts Competition for Children and Youth: Deadline March 9!

Losing Our Fellow Creatures: UN Environment Programme Launches International Poster Biennial on Biodiversity

January 24, 2020

I feel that the issue of our loss of biodiversity – the millions of species of animals, birds, plants, insects that we have the honor of sharing this Planet with – has been somewhat sidelined in the discussions on climate change.  And yet – news stories appear almost daily that fill my heart with deep sadness. … More Losing Our Fellow Creatures: UN Environment Programme Launches International Poster Biennial on Biodiversity