Harmony Hall, located on the border of St Mary and St Ann, is certainly not your typical art gallery although it does boast the works of over 100 visual artists. Founded and operated by Annabella Proudlock, herself an artisan, the building hosting the gallery dates back to the 19th century and features wrap-around balcony porches and latticework borders.

The enigmatic Welsh-born art enthusiast, who moved to Jamaica in the mid-60s ostensibly to “promote excellence in and broaden the appreciation of Jamaican art and craft”, stumbled in the 80s upon Harmony Hall, a beautiful, quaint manse which she spent the next year renovating along with a group of friends.

Harmony Hall opened its doors in November 1981, and its new curator was well on her way to developing and displaying the creations of some of her favourite artists, while at the same time bringing art and craft to a new market — the North Coast. The gallery is home to artists such as Cecil Cooper, Albert Artwell, Christopher Gonzalez, Ras Dizzy, Deryck Campbell, Gene Pearson, and in the past, Kapo and Albert Huie. Since its opening, the gallery has received extensive international acclaim from various travel publications.

Thankfully still captivated by the art, architecture and culture of Jamaica, Annabella Proudlock (proud mum of celebrated fashion designer Jessica Ogden and marketing and advertising point man Sebastian) has found the perfect home for her passion. An endroit that captures the nostalgia of a gentler period while inside showcasing modern ‘intuitive’ works by some of Jamaica’s most renowned (along with some supremely talented unknown) visual artists — traditional on the outside and non-traditional indoors.

In addition to the fine art housed inside the walls of the upper level of the building, Harmony Hall is now a landmark, having been selected a National Monument in 2002.

(Text and photos: Christina Hoo Fung)