The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Government, has launched a “Call for Photographers” for a forthcoming virtual exhibition that seeks to showcase our community’s diverse experiences of lockdown. The resulting online project will reflect how we, individually and collectively, have dealt with this unique moment in our history.
“We are living through unprecedented times both locally and on a global scale. As our community continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and its aftereffects, documenting our experiences is incredibly important,” says the joint statement. “Personal photographs of how the pandemic has affected daily life will help us keep a record of what it was like to live through these times – both the challenges we are facing as a community, and the resilience of our people throughout.”
Anyone residing in Cayman is invited to submit photographs reflecting life in Cayman both during lockdown, and as restrictions have begun to ease. For example: Are you a parent at home with children – how did you manage work/homeschooling? How did your family enjoy downtime? How did you stay connected to family and friends? Were you in a government quarantine facility? Or are you a frontline worker? What did it look like if you went out for a walk or to the grocery store? And so forth.
Up to five photos may be submitted per person for consideration along one or more of the following themes:
- Family Life (home schooling, leisure time, family wellness at home/the home environment)
- Work life (working from home/Zoom meetings, or Frontline Worker experience)
- Wellness and outdoor time
- Community (celebrations, social connections, supermarket visits, Zoom socials etc)
A Committee comprised of Cayman Islands Government representatives, National Gallery curatorial staff and select guests, will review all submissions. Selected photographs will feature in a three-month online exhibition via the National Gallery website from December. In addition, select winning works will be published in the Cayman Islands COVID-19 Commemorative Publication, produced in print and digital format, which is a project of the Cayman Islands Government.
All images must be submitted electronically with the completed application form to project@nationalgallery.org.ky with the subject heading CC Photo Project and following the guidelines below. The deadline for submitting works is Friday 20 November 2020. You can download the application form and guidelines here.
