The Art Society of Trinidad & Tobago (ASTT) was established in 1943 for the purpose of developing the artistic talents of its members, advocating for them, educating them of their rights, and of course, showcasing their work. I have been a member for a number of years and I have seen how much has been achieved by the successive governing boards, despite many administrative challenges.
This week I visited the current display of members’ consignment pieces. I was blown over by the sheer volume of quality works of art, representing all kinds of visual media and artistic styles, including photography, sculpture and fabric. In fact, there are 190 original works by 65 artists, and it is obvious how much effort has gone into arranging all these pieces to be aesthetically pleasing while ensuring that the creations tie in with each other. Well done to the curating team for an excellent display!
My sister, Karen Hale-Jackson, has four pieces on display at this show.
What I like too, is that the Art Society is now encouraging a Friday night lime (to 10pm) at their headquarters in Federation Park, with easy parking. Here you can socialise with other art lovers over drinks and nibbles (if you bring some along), and maybe purchase a great piece of art at a bargain price. Certainly, there are a lot of new names that show wonderful talent, and this bodes well for the future of the visual arts in T&T.
The ASTT have put on many interesting events over the years, such as art markets, workshops, life drawing sessions, movie nights, bingo nights, tea parties and other fund-raising events. If you are an art lover then it’s well worth your while to support this association, even if you are not an artist yourself.
This show goes on until Wednesday, 29th May, Tuesdays to Saturdays from noon to 6pm. I strongly recommend that you pop in to have a look:
3 – 7 St. Vincent Avenue
Federation Park
Port of Spain
Tel.: (868) 622 9827
