In celebration of Caribbean women’s voices and creative power in the context of the WOPHA Congress 2024, the VISUAL EPISTOLARY DIARIES exhibition will feature Caribbean women photographers, each inspired by literary works and poems by Caribbean female authors. The exhibition is anchored by a powerful quote from the renowned Guadeloupean author and Alternative Nobel Prize Recipient Maryse Condé, who wrote in her 1986 novel I, Tituba Black Witch of Salem, “They called me a witch, but in truth, I was simply a woman who knew her worth.”
The exhibition plays with the different interpretations and ideas of witchcraft as a metaphor for female strength, ancestral wisdom, and resilience, challenging long-held societal perceptions. Through a dynamic dialogue between image and text, the photographers reveal intimate thoughts and personal reflections, offering viewers a glimpse into the hidden facets of their lives that shape their creative processes. The exhibition not only highlights individual stories but also connects them to the collective memory and shared heritage of the Caribbean, prompting reflections on power, gender, and resistance in a postcolonial context.
In this Paradis magazine article, Lisa Howie discusses the art & culture itinerary she created for the visiting Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator group of artists, curators and scholars. It was a memorable experience in Bermuda, March 2024, and perhaps the first of many visits for DVCAI. Cultural Tours are planned to accommodate the various interests of a group. Please contact the gallery if you would like more information.
Featuring artwork by Susana Aleixo Lopes, Leonor Almeida Pereira, and Filipe FrancoGuest curated by Leonor Almeida Pereira and Lisa Howie CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ARTWORK ONLINELike Bermuda, the Azores is an isolated archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Our histories are intertwined and we share a sense of belonging and connection with our land and […]
Bermudian artists exhibited work at a fair during Miami Art Week.
AB Wilson, Meredith Andrews, James Cooper and Charles Zuill were featured alongside artists from the Caribbean in the Atlantic Arthouse boutique art fair portion of the event, which took place from December 7 to 10.
The artists were showcased by Black Pony Gallery, which is run by Lisa Howie, the Bermudian co-creative director for Atlantic Arthouse, along with Vanessa Selk.
“During the four-day event, art amateurs, art professionals and collectors enjoyed a fresh approach to the art fair concept. Rather than being overwhelmed by the disorderly succession of gallery booths, visitors toured the whole show with the gallerists and some participating artists, then took time to relax and discuss ideas further in the Villa Paula’s lush garden or patio,” Ms Howie was quoted as saying in a statement.
“Visitors have qualified the boutique fair as ‘the only moment to breathe and experience meaningful art at a slow pace during Miami Art Week.’
“The artwork was carefully selected and curated to create a meaningful narrative based on the concept of The Open Boat, a text by Martinican philosopher and poet Édouard Glissant, to invite spectators to experience the show like a transatlantic current, under the watch of the villa’s Caribbean ancestors.”
Online Viewing Room can be visited, and some artworks are still available for purchase.
Atlantic Arthouse’s Curatorial Advisory Board — Berette S Macaulay, Natalie Willis-Whylly and Reagan Kemp — selected the top ten artworks from the exhibition.
These focus on works that “become offerings of transformation birthed from ancestral roots placed on the shoulders of each new generation.”
Ms Howie said: “For a first-edition boutique art fair set away from the main foot traffic, in the heart of the relevant community of Little Haiti Miami, focused entirely on contemporary artwork from the Caribbean Mid-Atlantic region, the overall attendance and sales were encouraging.”
Marie Vickles, senior director education at the Perez Art Museum Miami, said that Atlantic Arthouse fair was “one of the best exhibitions of Miami Art Week 2023”.
Among the notable sales by Galerie Monnin and the ICE Gallery is Bermuda artist James Cooper’s Snorkeling with Elon Musk #9, which was featured on the exhibition’s VIP invitation.
“Visiting collectors and curators were startled to discover talent from Bermuda,” Ms Howie added.
“First encounters with the artworks by the four Bermuda artists was impactful. There is a lot of interest in the region and the discovery of new talent.”
Ms Howie said: “Investing in Miami Art Week as both featured gallery and as co-builder of a new boutique art fair was truly rewarding and points to more.
“Now, with proof of concept, we are looking for corporate entities who identify with global art collectors.”
Image above: Panel discussion on contemporary photography set in the Villa Paula garden.
Announcing a merge of two creative minds and two women led organizations, Bermudian entrepreneur Lisa Howie is launching Atlantic Arthouse in partnership with Miami based Vanessa Selk of Toukan-Arthouse.
A spokesperson said, “During the globally recognized Miami Basel art week, Atlantic Arthouse will be set in the beautiful Villa Paula, an historic building designed by Cuban architect Cayetano Freira in the 1920s in the heart of Little Haiti, a location that echoes the spirit and culture of Miami’s long-established Caribbean communities.
“Carefully selected artworks from various gallery partners and artists will be presented as a curated group show throughout the whole villa, thus enhancing the visitor experience with a meaningful narrative, instead of the traditional compartmentalized approach of an art fair providing one booth per gallery.
“One of the gallery partners is Lisa Howie’s Black Pony Gallery. For this selling exhibition, she will present seven artists: ABWilson, Meredith Andrews, James Cooper, Charles Zuill [Bermuda]; Aimée García, Niels Reyes and Humberto Diaz [Cuba]; Nasaria Chollette [Cayman].
“This first iteration of Atlantic Arthouse will explore a contemporary interpretation of “The Open Boat”, a text by philosopher and poet Édouard Glissant from Martinique.
“The transatlantic journey on the ocean, through the door of no return, ends not in an abyss of totality; rather, this open sea beckons our freedom in our contemporary moment, encourages us to be courageous, to express, to create. Because we can. Because we must. Glissant demands this courage. This curated fair exhibition explores Glissant’s timeless understanding of the human condition.
“In addition, a live program will be presented by Tout-Monde Art Foundation, which will deepen understanding of the region. All our welcome. Join Atlantic Arthouse as we embark on this exciting journey of ‘The Open Boat’.”
Atlantic Arthouse
Founders/ Creative Directors: Lisa Howie & Vanessa Selk
Location: Villa Paula, Little Haiti, 5811 North Miami Avenue, Miami
Dates: December 7-10, 2023
Admission: Pay What You Can
Atlantic Arthouse Program
Opening Hours 11am – 6pm
December 7: 11am – 2pm: VIP Preview brunch on invitation only or with Art Basel VIP Pass
December 7: 2pm – 6pm: Public opening
December 8-10: 11am – 6pm: Public opening
December 8: 6pm – 9pm: Caribbean Garden Party on invitation only
December 8, 9 and 10 at 11:30am: Live Program [performance or talk]
The Black Pony Gallery, led by Lisa Howie, made its international debut at the FUZE Art Expo in Nassau, presenting artists Dede Brown, HezronH, and Niels Reyes, and announced plans to feature Bermudian artists at Miami Basel Art Week in December 2023.
A spokesperson said, “Making its international debut at the FUZE Art Expo at BaHaMar Nassau last month, Black Pony Gallery was one of few galleries/ art projects not based in The Bahamas. Toted as a culinary arts festival, the event featured celebrity chefs who drew audiences from all over the world.
“This is exactly what is needed for the contemporary visual artist scene in the Caribbean mid-Atlantic region. A megaship hotel hosting a bigwig event that brings foodies and cultural-philes from afar to invest in their creative pursuits like cooking and art collecting,” said Lisa Howie, the founding director of Black Pony Gallery.
Black Pony Gallery presented three artists from three islands: Dede Brown [The Bahamas], HezronH [Turks & Caicos] and Niels Reyes [Cuba], each addressing the human subject in various painting methods.”
Ms Howie said, “We had an excellent location and eye-catching, easy to understand artworks that drew guests to our space. People were very interested in the goal of the gallery—to present emerging to established artists from the Caribbean mid-Atlantic—while also enjoying the business approach: a virtual gallery collaborating with partners who have tangible spaces.
“We did well financially and, importantly, we worked well as a team. The artists were actively involved in installation and public engagement. Working with this level of maturity and commitment made a big difference to the heavy lift of a project like this.
“In my discussions, I lead in with Bermuda, which continues to draw fascination and stories. We are a special place no doubt. Bermuda can produce an event like FUZE if determined to do so.”
Ms Howie added that the next step will be the Black Pony Gallery announcing a “new partnership and a remarkable opportunity set in the context of Miami Basel Art Week,” in December 2023, with Bermudian artists to be featured.
Investing in art is always a good idea. The trouble is, many claim to have no knowledge of the subject and so they shy from it. But I disagree. Everyone knows a lot more about art than they think they do.
For starters, everyone can describe what they are looking at. In terms of materials, objects, shapes, colours, a list of identifiable elements that we know and have words for.
Once we slow down and really see what we are looking at, then we can think about how we feel. Not in an evaluative, ‘I like it’ or ‘I don’t like it’ kind of way. Rather, in an overall ‘how does the artwork make me feel’ kind of way.
Once we spend time looking closely and giving ourselves time to reflect on how the artwork makes us feel, then we begin to naturally consider what it might mean. It’s an intuitive study if we give it time.
Time. Studies have shown that art museum goers will look as little as three seconds on an artwork but much longer reading the text panel that describes the artwork.
However, when you fall in love with an artwork—and I mean a proper swoon—you cannot shake it from your memory. The artwork will call on you again and again. If you’re lucky and can buy that work, I encourage you to do so.
This is the heart of the matter: an investment in art means you get to spend time with an object that makes you feel a certain, special way.
The other feel-good element is about and for the art makers— the people behind the scenes, sometimes working feverishly on a concept for many years, deep diving into methods, materials, ideas, big crazy ideas. Thank goodness we have creative expression to free up our lives, thank goodness we have art makers amongst us! We need to nurture them and one way to do so is to buy their artwork.
If you would prefer to hear the research on art investment, here is this. Investing.com noted in 2018 that “Over the past 18 years, the leading index for the 100 most important artists in the market reflects an annual price appreciation rate of 8.9%, while the S&P 500 returned 3.4% in the same time frame.” That’s an exciting statistic considering savings accounts often sit flat at 2%.
Experts say that investing in art is a good way to diversify your portfolio. If you are looking for a return on your investment, then you do need to do some research.
This is where it gets fun, visiting art museums, galleries, art fairs and biennial exhibitions to determine what art truly interests you and which artists are being lauded by these institutions and spaces.
The Caribbean mid-Atlantic region offers a dynamic selection of contemporary art museums, galleries, alternative spaces, and artist residency programs that provide space for experimentation and transformative experiences. Each serves to elevate the discourse on contemporary art in the region, thereby informing its own value.
We don’t have to wait to be evaluated. We are already creating our own art market together. It is important that we value art from our region as this will inform others to do the same.
For many collectors, it is important to investigate an artist’s journey and no one journey is the same. Gone is the day when only academic backgrounds determined value. Today, self-taught artists, graffiti writers, and top-tier fine art graduates, are all welcome in the contemporary art market. This is exciting for art makers and art collectors alike.
In 2019 I started Black Pony Gallery as an online entity that would provide access to the almost 5 million global art collectors who follow Artsy. (If you are not aware of Artsy.net please have a look. Provide your email address to access the inventory of over 3,000 galleries. Please follow Black Pony Gallery & Artists.)
Presently, I feature emerging to established artists from the Azores, Bermuda, Cayman, Cuba, The Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos. I’m interested in the narrative of the Atlantic corridor, of the space where my ancestors crossed very different paths from West Africa and Europe.
The writer in me enjoys how the artwork I feature begins to tell its own story, of people, places, tensions, and triumphs. It’s a contemporary narrative built on centuries of complex exchange.
I am so committed to telling the story that I started the Atlantic World Art Fair, the only online marketplace dedicated to contemporary visual art makers in the mid-Atlantic. Started in the murky depths of 2020 when cultural revenue was reaching an all-time low in our region, the Fair provides a collaborative space for galleries and alternative art projects who sell art, to gather and showcase artistic talents free of travel barriers and now, exorbitant flight fees.
Join me on a short trip into the portfolio of several Island-based artists whom I have the pleasure of featuring in Black Pony Gallery, starting with the hot mediums for collection: contemporary photography and mixed media.
For Teresa Kirby Smith, the landscape provides the ideal setting to experiment with photography. I quite like thinking about her art-making process. The works appear to be digital constructs when in fact she is an ardent traditionalist when it comes to process.
Kirby Smith says, “These color-saturated photos of flora found in Bermuda are from an ongoing series called Tropical Abstracts. They are all single exposures, but using a hand-held optical device in conjunction with my camera. I’ve aimed to create images that are lush, layered and densely textured.”
I imagine Teresa in her garden balancing an object in one hand while peering through it and her lens held by the other. A balancing act and a very, very steady hand to construct her photographs.
Emerging photographer ABWilson prefers to zoom in on the details of her lengthy walks, discovering beautiful colours and shapes in obscure places. Wilson is currently on an extended walk-about in Asia as she tunes her eye and hones her talent.
Meredith Andrews has been collecting plastic debris washed ashore Bermuda’s pink beaches these past eight years. She has a treasure trove of colourful objects that have journeyed from far flung places that she arranges into pleasing spectrums and shapes to create her photographs.
Andrews also finds unique perspectives in the landscape surrounding the beach. The rocky shoreline, with its prickly crags crafted by pounding surf, becomes the setting for an inverted dancer who is impossibly suspended, poised and vulnerable amidst the rock’s strength.
James Cooper sees the idyllic beach setting differently as well. For his Eye Land series, presented in the Atlantic World Art Fair 2022, Cooper created paper collages that place the tropical scene in a black and white background onto which he layers gold symbols that remind me of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Cooper says of the series, “These collages are the product of an ongoing fascination with ideas of transcendence and represent possible gateways to other realities.”
The notion of other realities leads me to the artwork of Bahamian artist Dede Brown. She resides on a small island off Nassau. Follow her Instagram for epic photographs of the seascape outside her studio window.
It’s no wonder we find fan coral impressions in the halo of her feminine characters. These mythical beauties who have emerged out of the ocean with sequined scaly eyes and bird of paradise feathers as fascinators. Brown experiments with several techniques such as photography, image transfers, screen printing, painting & etching, and combines them with other materials to create detailed mixed media portraits.
Some of you may question the medium of photography in our humid environment. Well, we own photography, and we live with the doors open all year round. Some images are framed behind museum quality glass, others are dry mounted. We like to live with our art, and I do my best to keep aware of the artworks’ conditions. Having a dry storage area is always an asset.
Photography and mixed media– this is just the beginning of a wider conversation on contemporary Caribbean mid-Atlantic art.
Please take time to review some of the artwork featured in Black Pony Gallery and the Atlantic World Art Fair. If you’d like to talk further about developing an art collection for your home, office, or building, please say hello.
About Lisa Howie
Lisa Howie is a curator, consultant and cultural entrepreneur. In 2019 she launched Black Pony Gallery on the Artsy platform, featuring contemporary artists from the Caribbean and mid-Atlantic. In 2021 she spearheaded the Atlantic World Art Fair on Artsy, featuring galleries, curatorial agencies and alternative projects dedicated to contemporary visual art from the region and its diaspora. Concurrently, she is the Director of Learning & Engagement at the National Museum of Bermuda and Board Director with the Centennial Bermuda Foundation. Ms. Howie is the former Executive Director (2009-2017) and Director of Education & Programming (2006-2009) of Bermuda National Gallery. You can contact Lisa at the below e-mail address or visit Black Pony Gallery or Atlantic World Art Fair online:
Investment is a complicated subject and investing in art can be even more so, as many claims to have no knowledge of the subject.
Likely the word “art” is not the first to come to mind when thinking about the Caribbean mid-Atlantic. But it should. The art market in the region is right on the edge of transitioning from emergent to highly sought-after. It is this transition — the getting in early— that makes this moment such an exciting time for art collectors.
Rooms at Cambridge Beaches hotel will soon feature contemporary artwork by local artists, with curatorial direction by Lisa Howie, owner of Black Pony Gallery.
A spokesperson said, “Guests have another reason to choose Cambridge Beaches Hotel, as each room will soon feature contemporary artwork by local artists.
“The hotel’s interior design renovation captures the spirit of the world traveler, with objects of interest including photographs and prints by some of Bermuda’s well-known artists.
“Like other hotel projects led by Phil Hospod, founder/CEO of Dovetail Co. and its subsidiary Cambridge Beaches, artwork plays an important role in the experience crafted for the guest.”
Mr. Hospod said, “We believe art has the potential to elevate guest experience while promoting local stories and artists in a meaningful way. It has been a pleasure working with Lisa to introduce a collection of Bermudian artists to the guests of Cambridge Beaches.”
Artwork by James Cooper [photo by Nhuri Bashir]:
The spokesperson said, “Lisa Howie, owner of Black Pony Gallery, was delighted to provide curatorial direction, presenting a wide range of local artist’s portfolios to choose from.”
Ms. Howie said, “The dominant décor at Cambridge is really the environment itself, the water views and beach scenes are remarkable.
“Now when the guest comes in for some respite from the natural beauty, they encounter further compelling scenes in the artwork and overall décor. The reimagined rooms feel so welcoming and home-like as a result.”
Artwork by Meredith Andrews [photo by Nhuri Bashir]:
The spokesperson said, “After months of deliberation, Phil and his team selected artwork by Meredith Andrews, Nhuri Bashir, James Cooper, Graham Foster, Jayde Gibbons, Sabriyya Harvey and Gherdai Hassell. At the hotel’s open house on September 15, many locals were excited to see the extent of the local artists collection.”
