October saw the launch of Bermuda’s inaugural Art Month, hosted by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, in a celebration of the arts at cultural institutions across the island.
The opening event was held at BNG in collaboration with Gherdai Hassell who gave a talk about her practice in partnership with fellow former Bermuda Biennial artist Yesha Townsend celebration of both Art Month and the opening of Threads Unravelling, a new exhibition of her textile work on display in the BNG Project Space.
We also held two live music sessions in the gallery with D.I.A and Friends who performed with special guests Icarus (KASE and Yesha Townsend) the first week.
The second week saw a special performance by Derek G. and Hannah Bushara featuring Buzby in celebration of Derek’s album launch which dropped at midnight that night. Guests enjoyed bespoke cocktails by Alchemy Spirits inspired by the song titles.
If you missed the events, you can watch Gherdai’s artist talk below.
We look forward to celebrating again next year for the second annual Bermuda Art Month!
UK based Bermudian multimedia artist Gherdai Hassell joined us in conversation with fellow former Bermuda Biennial artist Yesha Townsend on October 1, 2023.
As part of the closing celebrations for Simplicity of Form: Unfolding Abstraction, we collaborated with Kaleidoscope Art Foundation to display a series of artworks made by students aged 2 to 18 in their after-school programmes which were inspired by the exhibition.
The exhibition, which brought together an unparalleled selection of artwork from the Green family’s private collection, was the inspiration for all of Kaleidoscope’s spring term projects and the two were presented together for one night only.
Attendees enjoyed cocktails, live music, a silent auction and the chance to participate in two collaborative art making projects with KAF teachers, whilst raising funds for the children’s art centre.
Collaborative art pieces made by students aged 2 to 18 in Kaleidoscope’s spring after school programmes hang alongside the artworks that inspired them in Simplicity of Form: Unfolding Abstraction.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of Bermuda Wonderlandby Elizabeth Mulderig. It was a fantastic evening. If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, make sure to stop by and see Bermuda as you’ve never seen it before.
Bermuda’s best-selling children’s author and illustrator depicts each of the island’s nine parishes through the lens of Alice in Wonderlandin a series of large-scale paintings in which characters from Lewis Carroll’s much-loved book intermingle with Bermuda flora and fauna.
There is a purpose-built children’s education space to take young visitors through Elizabeth’s process and an interactive game, designed in collaboration with virtual experience company Hi From the Future which brings the paintings to life. Click here to play along at home.
We invite all Bermudian artists and artists living in Bermuda, to submit work to the 2024 Bermuda Biennial, sponsored by Bacardi Limited. The exhibition, which has been showcasing the best of Bermuda art for over three decades, will be juried by Chicago based Jamaican multimedia artist Ebony G. Patterson and N.Y.C based art fair director Helen Toomer.
The Bermuda Biennial aims to showcase the best Bermuda has to offer across all artistic disciplines, from artists of all ages, at all stages of their career, and from all walks of life. We need you to make that happen.
We welcome varied submissions from artists across the island – and Bermudian artists living abroad – in order to best showcase Bermuda’s people and voices. The 2024 Biennial has no thematic limitations, thus, we welcome submissions on all themes; the resulting show will reflect the voices and perspectives being put forth in contemporary art on the island.
Whether you are an established artist who has exhibited extensively, an emerging artist or someone who simply enjoys making art in their spare time, we encourage you to submit.
Applications are now open and will close on January 2, 2024.
The 2024 Bermuda Biennial, sponsored by Bacardi Limited, will be on display at the Bermuda National Gallery from April 2024 through to January 2025.
Featured image: 2020 Bermuda Biennial artwork by Jayde Gibbons (Bermudian, b. 1991) All The Kings Men from the series My Negus for Real (MNFR), 2019. Photography and mixed media. 72 x 96 inches. Collection of Bermuda National Gallery. As exhibited in The Bermuda Biennial: A Retrospective.
Why Submit?
We encourage all artists to submit to the 2024 Biennial. Whether you are an established artist, or in the early stages of your artistic practice, the Bermuda National Gallery’s flagship exhibition provides a unique opportunity to have your work seen by internationally recognised art professionals through the jurying process and if successful, showcase your work to a local and international audience.
“The 2020 Biennial catapulted my career, placed me on an international stage, and also landed me my first solo exhibition […]. The power of a thought, of a vision, of a word, is indescribable.” – Gherdai Hassell
The exhibition provides a great first step to working with the Bermuda National Gallery. Many Biennial artists, such as Will Collieson (2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1994 Bermuda Biennials) and Sharon Muhammed (2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1994 Bermuda Biennials) have gone on to be featured in large solo exhibitions at the gallery, many more have been included in a number of group shows and have had their work accessioned into BNG’s permanent collection.
The BNG Project Space is reserved for former Biennial artists to showcase current series of work, as they continue to develop their craft.
Former Biennial artists who have exhibited work in the Project Space over the past two years includes Meredith Andrews, Abi Box, Catherine Lapsley, and most recently, Gherdai Hassell (pictured above). Mediums range from photography, to monotype printing, large scale installation, and fibre works.
If you have previously exhibited in the Bermuda Biennial and have a new body of work or concept that you would like to propose for the BNG Project Space, you can email director@bng.bm.
ARTISTS ON THE BIENNIAL EXPERIENCE
“Inclusion in major exhibitions such as the Biennial provides recognition and assists in personal growth […]. Their work becomes part of the tapestry that will in time provide a future audience a glimpse into the realities, conversation and values held within this island home.”
Dr Edwin M.E. Smith (2020, 2014, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004 and 2002 Bermuda Biennials)
“Now that I have this exposure, and with it a heightened sense of courage, I now call myself an artist and know in my bones that I can back it up.”
Judith Aidoo-Saltus (2022 Bermuda Biennial)
“The Bermuda Biennial is a valuable opportunity to publicly share artwork that exists outside local expectation.”
Centipede Art Movement (2020, 2018 Bermuda Biennials)
“The calibre of the Biennial jurors was both inspiring and intimidating. Beyond their credentials, I respect their work.”
Liana Nanang (2022 Bermuda Biennial)
The Jurors
The jurors for the 2024 Bermuda Biennial are Ebony. G. Patterson and Helen Toomer.
Former BNG Trustee Ebony G. Patterson, (b.1981, Kingston, Jamaica) is an award-winning artist whose multilayered practice in painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and video uses beauty as a tool to address global social and political injustices.
Her work is in the public collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, NC; National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica; Pérez Art Museum Miami, FL; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; among others.
Helen Toomer is a recognized leader in the arts, with over fifteen years’ experience organizing events, exhibitions and residencies. She is dedicated to uplifting women in the arts.
Toomer is Co-Founder of Stoneleaf Retreat, an artists’ residency and connective space in the Hudson Valley of New York focused on supporting women and families. She is also the Founder of Upstate Art Weekend and Director of Photofairs New York, which recently launched its inaugural edition at the Javits Center in New York City.
All submitting artists will be invited to attend a Meet the Jurors evening event and panel discussion at the private Bacardi 1862 Cocktail Bar on Tuesday, January 16, where they will be able to hear directly from Ebony. G. Patterson and Helen Toomer on their experience curating the Biennial.
The Bermuda Biennial, sponsored by Bacardi Limited, celebrates and promotes the best of contemporary Bermuda art.
We invite all Bermudians, residing in Bermuda or living overseas, and foreign nationals who have been resident on the island for at least 6 months during the preceding two years (January 1, 2022 – January 1, 2024) to submit up to five (5) artworks.
Artists may submit as an individual artist, a collective or in collaboration, and can be at any stage in their career (emerging or established). Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
Submission requirements:
Artwork must have been completed between January 1, 2022 – January 1, 2024.
Artwork cannot have been previously exhibited.
Artists are invited to submit a combined total of up to five (5) artworks. Each one will be judged individually.
If a single artwork has numerous elements, that are integral parts of the same artwork such as a diptych or triptych, then it is considered as one artwork submission.
Artworks can be in any medium, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles, performance, digital, film and installation.
There is no specific size limit.
Artists are also invited to submit proposals for site-specific projects located in and around the Bermuda National Gallery and within the City of Hamilton.
Applications are now open online and close at midnight on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
The arrival of cooler weather has seen the start of our fall programming here at the Bermuda National Gallery, starting with the four-week fashion illustration course with multi-disciplinary designer Lyn Winford. Classes took in the place in the gallery over four evenings in September.
The first week of the course saw Lyn walk participants through the process of constructing a fashion figure, or a croquis, starting from basic circles and triangles and working up to the lines and curves that compose the human form.
In the second class, participants learned how to add clothing to their figures, with Lyn demonstrating the drape of different fabrics, as well as how to build shadows and colour.
By the third week the class was ready to dive into all things texture and practiced depicting various fabrics such as tulle and lace, as well as different textures, such as wool, bouclé, and animal prints.
In the fourth and final class, participants designed and illustrated an outfit from the basic croquis to the finishing details, using the techniques they had learned in the first three weeks of class.
Don’t miss out on upcoming classes and programming: become a BNG member today for priority registration and discounts on gallery events and workshops. Click here to take out a membership today.
April sees the opening of the 2024 Bermuda Biennial, sponsored by Bacardi Limited – BNG’s flagship exhibition and a critical platform for Bermuda’s art community.
As a member of the International Biennial Association, the Bermuda National Gallery’s Bermuda Biennial represents the excellence of local contemporary art. The exhibition brings Bermudian artists the opportunity to engage in an internationally juried process overseen by established international curators, both independent and from prominent art institutions.
We are thrilled to announce that the jurors for the 2024 Bermuda Biennial will beEbony. G. Pattersonand Helen Toomer. There are no thematic limitations for submissions to the 2024 Bermuda Biennial. The Biennial jurors will tease our curatorial threads upon their selection of the artworks and will set the title, which will be revealed at a later date.
All submitting artists will be invited to a Meet the Jurors evening event and panel discussion on Tuesday, January 16, where they will be able to hear directly from Ebony. G. Patterson and Helen Toomer on their experience curating the Biennial.
Submissions are open to all Bermudians living at home and overseas, as well as residents who have been living in Bermuda for 6 months or more. Applications are now open online and close at Midnight on Tuesday, January 2.
The 2024 Bermuda Biennial, juried by Ebony G. Patterson and Helen Toomer, opens to the public on April 13 2024 and runs through to January 12, 2025. Sponsored by Bacardi Limited. Click here for further information.
Ebony G. Patterson
Ebony G. Patterson photographed by Franklshman. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery.
Former BNG Trustee Ebony G. Patterson, (b.1981, Kingston, Jamaica) is an award-winning artist whose multilayered practice in painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and video uses beauty as a tool to address global social and political injustices.
Patterson recently presented a major site-specific exhibition of sculptural and horticultural installations at the New York Botanical Gardens titled …things come to thrive…in the shedding…inthe molding…. This fall, her work will be included in A Two Way Mirror: Double Consciousnessin Contemporary Glass by Black Artists, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA. In 2022, Patterson was appointed as the first Susan Brennan Co-Artistic Director of Prospect.6, which will take place in Fall 2024.
Her work is in the public collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, NC; National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica; Pérez Art Museum Miami, FL; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; among others.
Patterson has been the recipient of several awards and fellowships including the David C. Driskell Prize (2023); Tiffany Foundation Grant (2017), the United States Artist Award, Painter, and Mixed Media Artist (2018) and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Art Grant (2015). Patterson lives and works between Kingston, Jamaica and Chicago, IL.
Helen Toomer
Helen Toomer, photograph courtesy of PHOTOFAIRS and Casey Kelbaugh.
Helen Toomer is a recognized leader in the arts, with over fifteen years’ experience organizing events, exhibitions and residencies. She is dedicated to uplifting women in the arts.
Toomer is Co-Founder ofSTONELEAF RETREAT, an artists’ residency and connective space in the Hudson Valley of New York focused on supporting women and families. She is the Founder ofUPSTATE ART WEEKEND, Co-Founder ofArt Mamas Alliance and Director ofPHOTOFAIRS New York, which recently launched its inaugural edition at the Javits Center in New York City.
Formerly, Toomer was executive director of Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) and director of the IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair, Collective Design Fair, and PULSE Contemporary Art Fairs. She also co-founded and managed a contemporary art gallery, toomer labzda, in New York City.
Toomer lectures on art fairs and professional development at universities and arts organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom, and was an adjunct professor at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She serves on Advisory Committees for Foundwork, The Dorsky Museum and the Baxter St Camera Club of New York.
Applications Now Open
The Bermuda Biennial, sponsored by Bacardi Limited, celebrates and promotes the best of contemporary Bermuda art.
We invite all Bermudians, residing in Bermuda or living overseas, and foreign nationals who have been resident on the island for at least 6 months during the preceding two years (January 1, 2022 – January 1, 2024) to submit up to five 5 artworks.
Artists may submit as an individual artist, a collective or in collaboration and can be at any stage in their career (emerging or established). Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
Submission requirements:
Artwork must have been completed between January 1, 2022 – January 1, 2024.
Artwork cannot have been previously exhibited.
Artists are invited to submit a combined total of up to five (5) artworks. Each one will be judged individually.
If a single artwork has numerous elements, that are integral parts of the same artwork such as a diptych or triptych, then it is considered as one artwork submission.
Artworks can be in any medium, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles, performance, digital, film and installation.
There is no specific size limit.
Artists are also invited to submit proposals for site-specific projects located in and around the Bermuda National Gallery and within the City of Hamilton.
Applications are now open online and close at Midnight on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Click here for the 2024 Bermuda Biennial Application Guidelines.
We are thrilled to announce that the Bermuda National Gallery has won two awards in The Bermudian magazine’s first ever Family Favourite Awards: Best Gallery/Museum for Kids, and Best Holiday Camp for Kids ages 9-13!
With free admission for the whole family generously made possibly by the Christian Humann Foundation, there has never been a better time to visit.
Free BNG Kids Activity Packs accompany each of our current exhibitions. Pick up a copy and encourage little ones to explore the gallery in their own time.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the talk by London-based multi-media artist Rana Begum. As Charles Zuill wrote in his review of the lecture in the Royal Gazette, “Begum is a highly versatile artist, whose work is wide-ranging and yet identifiable as being uniquely Rana Begum. She is a painter, a printmaker, a sculptor, a creator of installations, a designer of furniture, a film-maker. She is an explorer, an experimenter, a modernist and yet a traditionalist.”
Her talk was fascinating and we were thrilled to welcome her to the gallery, where her work is on display in Simplicity of Form: Unfolding Abstraction through to the end of October. The video of talk, courtesy of CITV, is now available to watch for those who weren’t able to make it in person.
It has been a busy summer of art making here at the Bermuda National Gallery as we continue to develop our series of artist-led masterclasses. Most recently, New York-based Bermudian artist Jon Legere led a multi-media collage workshop.
Attendees explored techniques including collage, painting, image-transfer and gestural mark-making, encouraged by Jon to let loose and embrace the unexpected.
Don’t miss out on upcoming classes and programming: become a BNG member today for priority registration and discounts on gallery events and workshops. Click here to take out a membership today.
We will be opening two new exhibitions next month to celebrate Bermuda’s inaugural Art Month. Celebrations for Art Month, which is hosted by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, sees events happening at cultural institutions across the island throughout the month of October, kicking off with an artist talk by Gherdai Hassell at the Bermuda National Gallery on October 1.
Click here for a full line up events taking place across the island during Bermuda Art Month.
Artist Talk: Gherdai Hassell
Join us on Sunday October 1 from 3.30pm-5pm to hear Gherdai Hassell in conversation with fellow former Bermuda Biennial artist Yesha Townsend. The event celebrates both the launch of Art Month and the opening of her new exhibition Threads Unravelling, which will be on display in the BNG Project Space from October through to March.
Registration for this event is now closed.
Gherdai Hassell in her U.K. studio.
Bermuda Live Sessions
Art Month also sees the launch of the Bermuda Live Sessions, a series of live music sessions by DIA & Friends, accompanied by surprise appearances from esteemed local artists, held at the Bermuda National Gallery on the first and last Fridays in October from 7-8pm.
Click here to register. Tickets are $35 for BNG members and $50 for non-members.
Click here for more information on Bermuda Art Month.
