The capital’s hallowed art space — the National Gallery of Jamaica in downtown Kingston — was a visually arresting backdrop last Sunday for the all-female artist exhibition titled Explorations 3 Seven Women Artists.

Showcasing the dynamic works of Amy Laskin, Berette Macaulay, Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, Judith Salmon, Kereina Chang Fatt, Miriam Hinds-Smith and Prudence Lovell, the exhibition, which runs until August 8, had an added interactive component for patrons last Sunday as there was a mid-afternoon panel discussion with four of the artists (Laskin, Macaulay, Lovell, and Hinds-Smith) that was moderated by the Gallery’s Senior Curator O’Neil Lawrence. The quartet of artists, as well as the Florida-based Chang Fatt who participated in the panel via Skype conferencing, spoke about the challenges they faced as female artists, their individual approach to their art, and questioned the relevance of whether art should be pigeonholed by gender.

SO pursues art appreciation at the National Gallery.

(PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)