Thank you to everyone who joined us to say goodbye to The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet. On the final day of this landmark exhibition, we had a full audience join us to hear from Michael K. Frith, Lisa Henson, Jennifer Barnhart and Kathryn Mullen.
This exhibition exceeded our past attendance records, with over 17,000 people visiting in the 10 months it was on view. We gave over 100 free school tours and distributed over 1,700 BNG Kids Activity Books.
We are so grateful to Michael K. Frith for opening his never-before-seen private collection of sketches and entrusting BNG to share his life’s work.
The talk included performances from Cleo the Lion (performed by Jennifer Barnhart) and the Monstrosities, a group of puppets created in a 5-week puppet building and puppeteering course led by Kathryn Mullen.
This exhibition would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors.
The title sponsor of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppetis Masters Limited. Exhibition also sponsored by Markel, Appleby, and the Durhager Family, with additional support from Athene, Chubb, Clarien Bank, Conduit Foundation, Nicole and Arie Haziza, Piran Strange, The Ministry of Education and various anonymous Friends of the Friths.
For six weeks this summer, Amirah Ascento spent two days per week at the Bermuda National Gallery as a part of the SkillCraft Bermuda marketing programme.
SkillCraft is a local charity dedicated to providing personalised career-exploration opportunities for young people aged 16-20, enabling them to forge more confident pathways to work and post-secondary education. Each week, they learned about marketing from industry professionals, then spent two days weekly at a local business getting hands-on experience.
Amirah is a recent Berkeley Institute graduate who will be starting university in the fall. During her time at BNG, she helped refresh BNG’s Instagram profile, created graphics and captions for social media posts, and filmed and edited videos to help promote the Gallery.
Each week, the participants spent two hours with Mullen, one hour building their puppet and one hour practicing puppeteering skills.
The participants started with just a piece of fabric and a simple pattern, then each used their creativity to create these beautiful and varied characters!
When the Gallery found out that Fozzie Bear would not be able to stay for the remainder of the summer, our team decided the best way to say farewell was to hold a goodbye party!
Due to the outpouring of community support for The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet, which was initially due to close in May, the exhibition has now been extended to the middle of August. We are still looking for financial assistance to cover the costs of extending this landmark exhibition. Please consider contributing at www.bng.bm/fraggles.
The only puppet unable to remain in Bermuda for a few extra months was Fozzie Bear. Fozzie Bear, along with the other Henson puppets on display, was on loan from the Center for Puppetry Arts. Fozzie Bear had to return to his home museum to prepare for his next commitment in the National Comedy Centre in New York City.
So, our team planned a goodbye soiree with themed drinks and Fozzie Bear temporary tattoos to send Fozzie Bear off in style! Thank you to everyone who attended and helped us celebrate Fozzie Bear, and the man who created him – Michael K. Frith.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Art of The Mix 2026! Art of the Mix is a part of Thirst Bermuda, a month-long celebration of the art of cocktail making, presented by Burrows Lightbourn.
The attendees enjoyed sipping on 4 different signature cocktails made by some of Bermuda’s best bartenders while enjoying after-hours access to BNG.
BNG is offering free admission for all visitors in 2026. The initiative, which has been generously supported by a grant from The Christian Humann Foundation for the past four years, allows equitable access for all to BNG’s world-class exhibitions, and to Bermuda’s national art collection, which is cared for by the Gallery.
Close to 15,000 people visited the Bermuda National Gallery in 2025 to enjoy four exhibitions, ranging from photography to painting, printmaking and puppetry: Bending Light: Photographs by Seth de Roulet,Andy Warhol: Portraits from the Factory, A Study in Light & Colour: Selections from the David White Collection and The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet.
The Foundation’s support allows visitors to return to the Gallery throughout the year free of charge. BNG has been offering free admission since 2022, during which time visitor numbers have tripled. Jennifer L. Phillips, Executive Director of the Bermuda National Gallery, said, “We are so appreciative of The Christian Humann Foundation’s longstanding support of BNG. In particular, their sponsorship of our Free Admission initiative has a tangible impact – museum attendance numbers have increased year over year since the programme’s inception, and in 2025 we welcomed a record number of visitors to the Gallery.”
A spokesperson for The Christian Humann Foundation said, “We are delighted to continue the Christian Humann Foundation’s legacy of supporting the arts through our partnership with BNG in 2026. Our hope is that everyone in the community will come out, experience these incredible exhibits, and leave feeling inspired by the arts and all that BNG brings to Bermuda.”
Alongside free admission, the Bermuda National Gallery offers free tours for classes and camps. Over 500 students visited the Gallery in 2025 and 1,400 BNG Kids Activity booklets, which are produced to accompany each exhibition, were distributed. From January through to April, BNG will also be offering free transportation for schools island-wide, made possible by the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club. Schools can sign up online at www.bng.bm.
The Gallery will be opening four new exhibitions in 2026, beginning with a solo show by California-based Bermudian artist Soleé Darrell in March. This will be followed by an exhibition exploring the work of Frederick L. Hamilton (American, 1900-1989), who grew up in Bermuda and was one of the first photographers to take arial shots of the island. BNG’s flagship exhibition, the Bermuda Biennial, also returns, this year juried by Akili Tommasino, Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora at the Art Gallery of Ontario, as does the Junior Bermuda Biennial in celebration of our youngest artists age 5 to 17.
On Saturday, December 6, the City of Hamilton turned Front Street into a open-air cinema, where families sat under the stars to watch a movie.
The first movie was The Muppet Christmas Carol, shown in celebration of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet.
While waiting for the movie to start, Lorna Hayward, Senior Events Coordinator for the City of Hamilton, put together a Muppet Characters Quiz where attendees competed for a karaoke machine.
Michael K. Frith and his puppeteer-wife, Kathryn Mullen, spoke before the start of the movie about Frith’s involvement with the movie and his exhibition at BNG.
Thank you to everyone who joined us last month to support the third annual BNG Run for the Arts 5K! Organised by Nhuri Bashir, Donna Raynor and Domico Watson, the event raised funds for the development of a vibrant public art programme in the North-East Hamilton area.
Over 250 runners and walkers came out for the unique North Hamilton route, which began and ended at the Parsons Road Playground on Sunday, October 26. The event was sanctioned by the Bermuda National Athletics Association and timing was supplied by Bermuda Timing Systems. The event featured a competitive run, along with a fun run/walk, and a newly added one mile kids race!
This was not just a race but a community endeavour. Participants helped raise funds for the arts, including BNG’s educational programming.
This event would not have been possible without support from our generous volunteers. We would like to extend a big thank you to:
Graphic Design Domico Watson
Our Sponsors Ariel Re Adrienne Smatt Designs Alexandra Mosher Belvin’s Variety Bermuda Jewellery Bermuda Tourism Authority Bermuda Sandcastle Butterfield & Vallis Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa Challenger Banks Ltd Dove & Butterfly Gosling’s Limited Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club Headz Up The Loren Bermuda Modern Gent Bermuda Paradise Mobile People’s Pharmacy Polished Rugged Rentals Sade‑Milan Skin Sports Source Tuck Shop Bermuda Waterfront Man
Thank you to Courtney Clay, Jordan Carey, and Melanie Eddy for an inspiring evening of conversation during Art for the Body: A Discussion on Wearable Art.
Each artist brought thoughtful insight into their creative process and generously shared how sustainability, identity, and innovation inform their practices. From couture accessories to sculptural jewellery to community-rooted fashion, their work speaks volumes, representing Bermuda with creativity, care, and global relevance.
We’re grateful to all who joined us for the discussion and extend our heartfelt thanks to the panelists for their time, talent, and vision.
Students from 17 different schools are taking part in a mural competition being hosted by the Green family, with each school set to receive $1,000 while the winning school will receive $5,000, with the finished murals to be displayed surrounding the Luscar Place construction site.
A spokesperson said, “The Green family has once again partnered with the Bermuda National Gallery [BNG] to host an art competition for school students. Today, local middle and upper primary schools will be asked to design murals for a chance to win $5,000 for their school. All completed murals will be displayed as the surrounds to Luscar Place’s construction site throughout the project’s duration.
“School teams of up to 15 students are being asked to paint scenes representing Bermuda in the style of Andy Warhol. To further the exploration of Warhol and his signature style, students will be invited to free class tours of BNG’s exhibition of portraits by Andy Warhol loaned by the Green family, which opens to the public on Thursday, May 29th.
“At the competition, held today, Wednesday, April 30th, students will be given bespoke Luscar Place T shirts, drinks and snacks, as well as the art materials they need to design a winning mural. Painting will occur from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, and a team of judges made up of representatives from the Green family and BNG will decide on the winning mural tomorrow, May 1st.”
Alexander Green, on behalf of the Green family, said, “Similar to past development projects, we wanted to involve young people looking to explore their artistic talents. Registered participation in today’s mural competition surpassed our expectations, with the interest only increasing from our inaugural event at Waterloo House dating back to 2010 [Masterworks] and again at Point House in 2019 [BNG].
“It is heartwarming to know that so many students will come together to express themselves freely through art and teamwork. We look forward to seeing their designs on a large scale. The artwork will be a welcome pop of colour on Pitts Bay Road.”
Jennifer L. Phillips, BNG Executive Director, said, “The Bermuda National Gallery was pleased to partner once again with the Green family and Bermuda’s schools. Today’s increase in school participation demonstrates our young people’s desire to be creative, and it highlights the importance of providing them with platforms to express themselves. Through this collaboration, we continue to nurture the next generation of artists, encouraging innovation, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the arts within our community.”
The spokesperson said, “Each participating school will receive a cheque for $1,000, and once the winning design is announced, the student team with the top design will receive $5,000 for their school, with 2nd and 3rd place murals receiving $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.
“The 17 participating schools were: Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning, Bermuda Institute, Chatmore British International School, Dellwood Middle School, East End Primary School, Elliot Primary School, Francis Patton Primary School, Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Purvis Parish School, Saltus Grammar School, Sandys Secondary Middle School, Somersfield Academy, St. David’s Primary School, The Bermuda High School, Victor Scott Primary School, Warwick Academy, and West Pembroke Primary School.”
