amjamin

Think of India and a myriad of visions flash across one’s mind ­ Taj Mahal, the immortal love story etched in marble, the vibrant colours, the ‘curry’ and, of course, Bollywood (the choreographed song-and-dance sequences replete with gyrating actresses in their finery). Take a time travel to 1845. On May 12, a group of East Indian indentured labourers ­ laden with frugal belongings ­ in awe and dazed by their journey across time zones to a land tucked in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, landed at Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine.   With them, the Indians brought their traditions and way of life, which, 167 years down the line, are standing still in a time warp and possibly restricted to a generation. “Unfortunately,” said David Stimpson, curator, Museums of History and Ethnography, Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), “the Jamaican art consists of a wide spectrum of practices and specialisation and we have limited information on the Indian influence (in the arts).” GLI...

The room full of exhibits erupted with a riot of colours - showcasing unfathomed ideas, countless rainbows, meandering shapes and a carnival of nostalgia. The art works were the production of preparatory-school students - their creative juices squeezed, blended and transposed on the walls and tables. From masks to pots, to three-dimensional scaled models of Jamaica's landmark buildings, foil paper, soda bottles, papier-mâché, fabric, paper and paints gave a fresh dimension to the theme 'Nostalgia: Pre-Independence Jamaica', at the Art in Preparatory Schools Exhibition 2012/2013. "This competition is running for 51 years now," informed Georgette Francis, programmes manager, Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) and curator of the exhibition. "We tied the theme to Jamaica 50 and asked the prep school children to recreate Jamaica's past." One would have imagined that a generation growing up in a world where they are surrounded by 'smart' every...

These are stories captured in megapixels, streaming hues, freezing expressions - moments that are there to stay forever. Spearheaded by high-school students from rural Jamaica, photography is taking a different dimension - converging this art form with human-rights advocacy. The Resolution Project advocacy initiative of Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation has been, since its inception in 2004, equipping and training students to acquire these proficiencies. "The Resolution Project allows the young people to voice their perspectives through the arts. They use the art form to express themselves - how they see and experience their specific communities," informed Alicia Glasgow, arts and media specialist of the JNBS Foundation. "Students are exposed to arts, culture and heritage in their environments and use photography to promote this positive aspect of our society." "I wasn't fully aware of the potential (of photography)," qu...