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.
Olivia, a Somersfield student in front of "Bermuda Portal" by Solee Darrell
Olivia, a Somersfield student set to enter her third year of middle school this Fall, spent a day at the Bermuda National Gallery shadowing Mikaela – our Officer of Community Engagement, Programming & Learning. Mikaela overseas the Gallery’s marketing, events and education initiatives, so Olivia had a chance to gain insight on all three areas.
Olivia helped to take some photos of a camp tour that Mikaela was leading of Offerings: by Soleé Dareell. She got to learn more about the process of creating velvet pieces and see how tours can help deepen engagement with art.
At the end of the day, Olivia created some props for the Puppet Theatre – a part of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to puppet.
We interviewed Olivia about her day at BNG.
MKL: Why did you choose to come to BNG?
Olivia: I wanted to know what it was like working in a museum and I thought it would be really cool spending time with you guys and seeing how it works here and seeing the behind the scenes of the museum. What surprised me was how to get to the office – it looks different from the front of the Gallery
MKL: What’s your favourite exhibition currently on display?
Olivia: I really liked the Soleé Darrell exhibition. I like how she uses the velvet and how she only uses 30 minutes to make each piece.
MKL: What do you like about art?
Olivia: I like how there’s many different types of art like abstract and it’s really relaxing to draw and be free to do whatever you want.
MKL: Would you like to work in a museum?
Olivia: Yes. Because it’s really fun working in a museum and your (Mikaela’s) job is fun and interesting and I would want to do that. The editing videos was fun.
Thank you, Olivia, for spending the day helping BNG!
In 2024, juror Molly Bretton reviewed over 600 artworks for the inaugural Junior Bermuda Biennial! The exhibition featured 83 artworks by artists ages 5 to 17. If you have a young artist that is considering submitting artwork for consideration, we have some advice.
1. Seek out inspiration Encourage young artists to get inspired! Take them to visit current exhibitions at the Bermuda National Gallery or visit our virtual exhibitions online. Try to encourage artists to engage with artwork critically. Ask them what they like and why, what they don’t like and why, and encourage them to reflect on how different artworks are made.
2. Submit multiple artworks Increase your chances by submitting multiple pieces. When creating the exhibition, the juror also looks at how some of the artworks may look next to each other. Sometimes, a really great piece may be submitted, but may not get in if it doesn’t fit into the overall exhibition.
3. Ensure the artist statement is in the artist’s voice Artist statements are meant to show the thought process of the artist – not parents. You can ask some guiding questions to start the conversation, then pick one or two sentences to be their artist statement.
4. Take a clear photo Artworks will be reviewed and selected digitally using only a photo – so making sure you have a good photo is helpful. When possible, try to ensure photograph the artwork on a neutral background – and make sure there is bright lighting. Do not use flash, and try to avoid shadows.
5. Set clear expectations Not every artwork that is submitted will be selected for the final exhibition. Be clear with your young artist now to avoid disappointment later. Remind your artist that if they do not get in, it does not mean their work is not good – they should keep creating art!
The Bermuda National Gallery has partnered with the Department of Workforce Development to host an intern. The 10 week summer employment programme is designed for high-school and college students to gain a deeper understanding of their field of interest and receive hands-on experience in their intended careers.
Through this programme, BNG were matched with Seer Carey, a 20-year-old Bermuda College graduate who is looking to start a career in 2D and 3D animation, with a minor in sequential arts, game development, business and languages. Seer is hoping to develop new diverse settings for young Bermudian artists here in Bermuda, and expand connections globally to places like Korea, China and Japan, where he one day hopes to reside and study to learn the art of Japanese comics and animation.
Seer has been assigned a breadth of tasks, providing support to each of the five BNG staff members while learning more about the museum’s daily operations.
BNG: What have you been doing in your internship so far?
SC: I’ve been working on a lot of small projects – some that are research-based where I gain a greater understanding of BNG’s history and past exhibitions. I’ve also been doing data-based projects, like helping to migrate membership information into a new system. I’ve been helping prepare for BNG’s Art+Tech Summer Camp by doing inventory on camp supplies and making a video highlighting past summer camp artworks.
I sit in on team meetings and learn a lot about all the projects the rest of the team are working on, and joined for an internal workshop on LinkedIn, where we all updated our profiles and talked about why LinkedIn is an effective tool for marketing. I also went on the radio with Ms. Jennifer and talked about my experience with BNG.
Seer Carey on Ocean 89 radio stationSeer Carey with local artist Jayde Gibbons
BNG: What has been surprising about your time with BNG?
SC: The history of BNG has surprised me a lot – learning how many exhibitions there have been, and how much artwork is in the permanent collection; the fact that the Gallery started in 1992, then expanded through membership and reaching out to the community. It’s also been interesting to learn about which things get government support.
I’ve also been learning a lot about how non-profit organisations run – I think it’s a beautiful thing that BNG does. The way that Art+Tech summer camp gives back to children and helps them learn about art, and the amount of students that get to try animation because of how many bursaries BNG gives out is really inspiring, especially as an aspiring animator myself.
I really admire the educational initiatives. I shadowed a tour for a group of homeschooled students, and got to learn a lot about The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet.
What is your favourite exhibition currently on display?
SC: My favourite exhibition right now is The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet. I didn’t grow up in that era when The Muppet Show was very popular, but it’s so cool getting to go back in time and see how Michael Frith helped build such a big show, and how several characters like Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Dr Teeth, were designed.
It’s so inspiring getting to see another Bermudian that got to work with such big names and contribute to pop culture. It just showed me that even though I come from a small island, I can branch out and work with very big names and have a similar impact. It was also very cool to meet him in person.
BNG: What would you tell others about getting involved with BNG? I would definitely encourage younger people not just to try and stop by and look at the museum, but get their parents to take out BNG memberships and learn more about BNG and it’s history. What the Gallery does is give a very good foundation of how you’re supposed to run a Gallery, how an art show is supposed to run and good teamwork. If you love art, and art loves you, then BNG is the place to be.
Over 1,400 students, together with more than 200 school chaperones, have attended an educational tour of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet since the exhibition opened at the Bermuda National Gallery in October. Much of this has been made possible by the generous loan of buses from the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club, which have been bringing students into the gallery from across the island for the past three months during the hotel’s quieter winter season.
More than 80% of schools requested transport, with picks ups running the length and breadth of the island – from Somerset Primary to East End Primary. A total of 24 schools, both public and private, have visited, as well as the Bermuda Home School Network and a number of camps, including Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation who are currently running a puppet-making camp inspired by the exhibition.
School tours, which are free of charge, are an integral part of the Gallery’s educational programming. Officer of Community Engagement, Programming and Learning, Mikaela Joy Kawaley-Lathan, says, “Tours of museums are proven to help enhance critical thinking whilst also inspiring young minds. Sharing the work of Michael K. Frith has helped students from across the island see Bermuda as a source of inspiration and Bermudians as limitless in their ability to create.”
She added, “We’ve had a wide range of ages come in – from Somerfield Academy’s youngest class, who are aged 3 to 5, to college students from the University of Toronto. The Hamilton Princess providing a free, easy way of getting to and from the Gallery was crucial in making it feasible for schools to bring students. For some primary classes, the trip to the Gallery was their first field trip.”
Francis Patton students enjoy a tour of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet
During the one-hour tour, children are guided through the exhibition and then take part in an activity from the accompanying BNG Kids booklet, which encourages children to explore the gallery independently. Children are given a BNG pencil to complete their workbooks – a surprise hit, with many being excited to have the same pencil as Scooter, who is on loan from the Centre for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, and who was posed by Michael K. Frith holding a BNG pencil and Muppet Show script during the installation of the exhibition.
“When Michael and I first met to discuss the possibility of an exhibition, he said humbly that if it ignited one person’s creativity, it would have done its job. I think it’s fair to say that it has far exceeded that,” says Eve Godet Thomas, Director of Exhibitions at the Bermuda National Gallery. “To have so many students come in and learn about Michael’s extraordinary career and the possibilities of simply putting a pen to paper, has been a joy to see. We’ve had close to 9,500 visitors since the show opened and we have extended the run through to August, so it you haven’t already seen The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet, make sure that you come in before it closes. If you’re quick, you’ll be able to meet Fozzie Bear, who will be leaving the gallery at the end of April to go to the National Comedy Centre in New York.”
Transportation for schools, made possible by the Hamilton Princess Hotel and Beach Club, ends on April 2. School tours are free and available throughout the year to accompany all exhibitions, and can be tailored to suit any curriculum. For further information visit www.bng.bm/school-tours. The Bermuda National Gallery is currently fundraising to cover the cost of the extension of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet. Donations can be made at www.bng.bm/fraggles.
Earlier this month, the Gallery hosted two additional professional development sessions for Bermuda’s Public School employees. In November of last year, Bermuda’s arts teachers spent a full day in the Gallery. Following that success, the Ministry of Education reached out to organize half day sessions for English Language Arts teachers and school guidance counsellors.
Over 20 guidance counselors also took part and were able to learn about the power of puppetry directly from Michael Frith and his wife Kathryn Mullen who, together with aid worker Johnie McGlade, founded No Strings Productions, a non-profit organization which produces short puppet films for audiences in at-risk populations.
Ms. Mullen said, “I was thrilled to see the genuine interest the teachers had in the idea of using puppetry in the classroom. I believe in puppets as a powerful teaching tool and feel strongly that anyone who really tries it will be converted forever. I was!”
Mikaela Joy Kawaley-Lathan, BNG’s Officer of Community Engagement, Programming and Learning, explained, “As an art gallery, many teachers assume that only art classes can come for field trips. In reality, we’ve had a range of classes come, each finding something in the Gallery to link to their curriculum.”
Michael K. Frith spoke with English teachers about his experience working at Random House “The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet is an exhibition worthy of any American or European counterpart. In a remote country such as Bermuda, it is easy for us to forget the pleasure of walking through an excellently curated exhibit, a privilege that so many others take for granted,” reflects Travis Chambray, English Language Arts teacher at Sandys Secondary Middle School. “I enjoyed being able to relax, learn, socialize and reflect all at once: such is the effect of a gallery where every piece has been considered for its audience. The students may benefit from knowing that art, its creation and creators are not something which exists abstractly in faraway places but right here at home.”
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.
The Bermuda National Gallery hosted an engaging Professional Development Day for the public school arts teachers, organized by Mikaela Joy Kawaley-Lathan, BNG’s Officer of Community Engagement, Programming and Learning and Dr. Shannon Rose-Robinson from the Ministry of Education.
Visual art, music, and dance teachers came to BNG to have a tour of The Art of Michael K. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet. After the tour, they had a discussion with Michael K. Frith and his wife, Kathryn Mullen about the role of collaboration within their careers.
In the afternoon, half the teachers learnt a round from Fraggle Rock, and the other half learnt about different types of puppets from Kathryn and then tried their hand at making some!
The puppets came to life and joined the singers for a wonderful performance that helped show the power and joy of collaboration.
Thank you to all the teachers who joined and helped make the day so memorable. A special thanks to Michael Frith, Kathryn Mullen and Christina Frith for volunteering their time and expertise.
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.
