‘Edna’ artists mount Undeterred
The onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 upped the stakes for then first-year students at the School of Visual Arts at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA)
Their challenge became navigating the lockdowns and new normal while acquiring the skills of their various disciplines in the virtual space.
What’s more, a fire on the morning of September 17, 2021 gutted the building housing the Hope Brooks Painting Studios.
Obstacles notwithstanding, that cohort of 29 students were undeterred.
They have now completed their course of study at the college and have mounted their final-year exhibition, appropriately themed Undeterred.
The works cover areas including visual communication, art education, animation, graphic design, illustration, textiles and fibre art, fashion, ceramics, and painting.
In declaring the exhibition open, Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams lauded the students for their tenacity in delivering high-quality work and encouraged them to make their mark on a world which she described as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
External examiner, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Bryan McFarlane praised the young artists for not shying away from difficult, complex concepts, but rather confronting them with courage, breaking through simplistic notions. He noted that this year’s exhibition was a manifest of rich eclecticism and ideas, summarised with a range of cultural, philosophical, and ideological viewpoints.
The evening’s guest speaker, Fulbright Scholar Malene Barnett, heaped praises on the group of young artists for their fortitude in pressing forward, despite the challenges, to present works which showcase the insightful outcomes of creative thinkers who exemplify what it means to be an emerging artist in the contemporary art world.
Undeterred, she noted, captures the unflinching survivalist mindset of a group of students who have flourished despite the setbacks.
“The works presented are essential in provoking conversations and actions around the effects of centuries of systemic challenges that continue to build barriers around women’s bodies, the lack of protection for our children, and the destruction of the environment. Through art, the students at [EMCVPA] have created a gateway for cultural exchange, encouraging us to reflect and take action on these critical issues,” Barnett said.
Dean of the School of Visual Arts Miriam Hinds Smith noted that the exhibition was a true reflection of the growth and development of the artists and art educators which has enabled them to offer a broader and more complex point of view.
“The construct of the exhibition, therefore, stems largely from the students’ concepts and mediums employed and the intersectionality of ideas and scholarly framing which guarantees a more dynamic interaction,” said Hinds Smith.
EMCVPA Board Chair Deiwght Peters, in welcoming guests, noted the poignant contribution the institution continues to make in the local, regional, and international creative space and predicted that this latest crop of student would add to this rich legacy.