On 17 February 2022, the NGCI team was honoured to attend the National Arts & Culture Awards Ceremony hosted annually by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) at the Harquail Theatre, receiving a Gold Star for Creativity – awarded to Natalie Urquhart – and a Star for Creativity Certificate – awarded to the staff responsible for the implementation and success of the National Gallery’s Digital Engagement Programme – on the night.
NGCI’s Digital Engagement Programme consisted of numerous projects focused on providing multiple points of access to the gallery and its resources, for the community. Developed in lockdown when the Gallery doors were temporarily closed, today, it consists of eight virtual 360° exhibition experiences, two digital community exhibitions in response to lockdown; an artist interview series titled “Art Talks”, the digitization of the National Collection and its artists’ information; an online past exhibition archive, an educational social media campaign of the National Collection titled “Know Your Collection” as well as led virtual school tours, online art classes and educational resources available for teachers and students, all on the NGCI website. The Digital Engagement Programme is now a mainstay at NGCI, and all programming moving forward will be offered to the community in a hybrid space of digital and in-person outreach.
Natalie Urquhart, Director and Chief Curator of NGCI, was also recognized for her extensive contributions within the regional cultural sector. For over 20 years, she has continuously prioritized the cultivation, dissemination, and education of Caymanian art and culture – from authoring the Island’s first formal art history to curating over 30 exhibition projects – especially during the covid-19 pandemic when access to resources and the community was limited. Spearheading numerous successful projects at NGCI like those awarded on the night, she has also been president of the Museums Association of the Caribbean and has served on the Boards of the Tilting Axis – Caribbean Art Alliance, the Visual Arts Society, the Cayman Islands National Cultural Policy Committee, the Cayman Islands Constitution Commission, and the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce.
Other award winners included Cayman Art Week (CAW), a project NGCI was proud to partner with, as it originated in response to the pandemic’s impact on Cayman’s creative sector. CAW consisted of a week-long programme of pop-up exhibitions, and tours of various galleries and studios around the island meant to encourage the appreciation and collection of Caymanian art. Its accessibility through a singular platform model, CAW maps and bus tours, and the generosity of the volunteer-based CAW team was especially commendable. More information on the project can be found here.
Nominations for the Star for Creativity in the Arts and the Heritage Cross awards were submitted by cultural organizations and the community. Both awards have gold, silver, and bronze tiers to commemorate the number of years a nominee has been a significant and positive contributor to the celebration, preservation, and/or innovation of the artistic and cultural landscape of the Cayman Islands. NGCI was honoured to nominate many of this year’s awardees in the visual arts. This year’s full list of winners and their awards are listed as follows:
Visionary Award:
- Bendel Hydes
Gold Heritage Cross
- Charles Long
- Donna Bryan
Gold Star for Creativity
- Natalie Urquhart
- Margaret Barwick
Silver Star for Creativity
- Jawara Alleyne
- Ky-Mani Rudolph Davis III
Bronze Star for Creativity
- Yonier Powery
- Simon Tatum
Star for Creativity
- Cayman Art Week Committee
- NGCI Staff
- Stoak’d (Marc & Pam Laurenson)
NGCI would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to this year’s recipients. Without their tireless efforts, the country’s arts and culture scene would not be the rich and cosmopolitan environment that exists today.