New Artists, New Friends And A New Beginning At Arteccentrix Gallery
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The gallery in Governor’s Square has now been open for a week and it has definitely been an exciting six days.
We have met with several of our new artists and for the most part we have some fine examples of their work on display. So, here is a quick summary of some of our week’s news and highlights.
Just prior to opening we had a visit from Bendel Hydes which was my husband’s first chance to meet with one of Cayman’s most famous artisans. Bendel had come to visit the gallery and gave us his candid assessment of how things were looking. Unfortunately we do not have any of Bendel’s work to share with you, but please visit his website if you are unfamiliar with his work. We entrusted into his care my Painting, “Father’s Eyes”, which is due to be auctioned for charity at the Art For The Heart gala event this month.
We mentioned one of our new partners in a previous post – Greg Lipton. We are currently offering four monochrome works by Greg and they are all quite stunning and interest in his paintings has been high. Judging by some of the complimentary feedback it will not be long before he makes his first sale with us. You can view some of Greg’s paintings at his own website through the above link but if you would like to admire them first hand, please call in to see us soon.
We also had the pleasure of meeting with Leigh Pawling a wonderful artist from Kingston PA in the United States and are currently preparing a beautiful nine feet by seven feet abstract work for showing. Leigh is a well established artist in her own right and works in a wide variety of styles. Her work also includes many murals in her homeland and she has recently been selected as one of several artists who will be working on the city of Philadelphia’s murals project which is going to be a huge and exciting venture. Leigh has an excellent website where you can view a good selection of her work and follow her on her blog. Be sure to look out for the impressive piece she has consigned to the gallery in the weeks ahead.
Cayman artist Joseph Betty has also signed with Arteccentrix and at present we have two of his pieces on display, adding a burst of his signature bold and bright colours to the current exhibition. When we make the next website updates we will have several examples of Joe’s work on display on these pages, but again, in the meantime, we invite you to drop by the gallery and enjoy his paintings first hand.
Cayman artist Luelan Bodden has not only consigned several pieces to us, he also did some amazing restoration work on an antique half table for us as an opening gift – thank you Luelan, it looks amazing!
Luelan’s abstract piece entitled “The Sting” is already attracting a lot of attention and is in stark contrast to his very original depiction of an old Caymanian Home entitled “Wattle and Daub” which we guarantee is an original piece the like of which you will never have seen before, painted directly onto a “canvas” which is a work of art in its own right, fabricated from course natural coconut palm. We also have two signature free standing lamps, that Lue has created lovingly from recycled natural materials, recovered from Cayman’s shoreline. The lamp stands are beautifully finished sturdy bamboo with a tactile high gloss finish and the shades have been painstakingly forged from coral and sponges. Again, the description does not do the intricate craftsmanship justice.
Cayman artist Chris Christian was a surprise visitor early in the week and we are pleased to say we now have a single piece of his work – it is one of his own personal favorites and we know that parting with it was not an easy decision for him but his offering adds yet another dimension to the quality and diversity on display. It is a rare chance for collectors to acquire a beautiful piece of work from another of Cayman’s Native Sons artists and, although we say so ourselves, at a very keen market price. We don’t think it will be gracing our walls for too long. A semi abstract piece that depicts a typical fishing scene from Cayman and evokes a feeling of peace, maybe a little nostalgia, it is a warm and relaxing offering in one of Chris’s signature styles of golden hues and warm earth tones. We are delighted to have been given the chance to share his work.
The close of our first day of business was marked by a surprise visit from artist Christel Ibsen and her husband Bob who very kindly brought in a bottle of champagne to celebrate – a lovely surprise and a great way to end our first day in business. Thanks Bob and Christel!
The gallery was featured in the Cayman Compass at the end of the week and brought visitors from as far afield as the UK – we actually met some people staying on the island who were from the small fishing village in Cornwall where my mother and father-in-law lived for almost 25 years and knew of us through a mutual friend! It turned out that their daughter has lived and worked in Cayman for as a teacher for the past five years. A small world indeed and it was a great chance for my husband to reminisce and talk about home for a while.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Carol Hay the owner of Pepper Patch in Grand Cayman. For those who don’t know Carol or are unfamiliar with her Pepper Patch brand of pepper jellies you can get the lowdown in the article from the Cayman Compass in the above link. We were delighted that Carol was interested enough in the gallery to offer some sponsorship in the form of providing for our guests at future shows and events – a great combination of Cayman art and delicious Cayman produced pepper jellies promises to be a “tasty” prospect .
Don’t worry though, if your taste buds can’t wait for a gallery show you can find Pepper Patch at a wide range of outlets across the island and it is well worth seeking out. Carol has already converted two more people to her delicious product! A smart marketer and entrepreneur as well as a manufacturer of a fabulous traditional local product and a wonderful lady. So, big thanks to Carol, we can’t wait to spread the Pepper Patch experience to many more people in the months ahead. If you want to know more you can contact Carol on 526-6932 0r email her at chay(at)BrittHay(dot)com
As you can tell, we have met some amazing new people in the past six days and look forward to meeting many more. The response to the gallery space and the work on display has been very positive and encouraging and we thank everyone who came by to see us in our first week. We welcome anyone who wants to just come and browse – as a commercial gallery we are in business to connect artists with buyers but the art is there to be enjoyed by everyone who visits.
Some people may feel that a fine art gallery can be as intimidating as, let’s say, a gymnasium in some ways but rest assured you will receive a warm welcome and we love to see visitors studying and enjoying the paintings and sculptures. Rather than pressure, we hope and aim to offer a relaxing environment that anyone can enjoy and if looking is all you have in mind, do not let that stop you from coming into the gallery to see us. Art for sale is art to be appreciated too.
We should add that we may be able to provide a quality fine art print of the work you most admire, a much more affordable option if you’re budget for art is of a more modest nature. If you see something you like, please ask us if you are interested in a reproduction and, depending on the work in question, we may be able to offer you a more affordable way to own the painting you fall in love with. Our giclee prints are virtually indistinguishable from the original and can be produced in a range of sizes, both smaller and larger than the original work. If you would like to see an example, we will be happy to show you the results that can be achieved, to help you decide if a giclee is the right choice for you.
No doubt we have forgotten to mention several people and stories from our first week but as you can tell it has been a whirlwind of activity from start to finish and left us all exhausted and exhilarated. It is wonderful to know that we have brought a commercial fine art gallery back to Grand Cayman, for its artists, people, and art lovers from all walks of life.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Nickola & Maurice
Arteccentrix Gallery Opening Day
We are pleased to say that Arteccentrix has opened as planned today, February 8, 2010.
You can now find us in Governor’s Square, underneath the center’s clock. The following photographs will give you an idea of how things are looking. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the artists who have agreed to work with us, the owner’s of Governor’s Square who have given us the opportunity to finally open our doors to the general public and all the people who have contributed their time and offered their support. It has all been invaluable and we are grateful to you all for your messages of encouragement.
Cayman finally has a dedicated fine art gallery, a place where everyone can view and enjoy some of the most beautiful artwork that some of Cayman’s best artists have to offer.
We look forward to seeing you soon at The Arteccentrix Gallery.
Fine Art Gallery Arteccentrix Coming To Governor’s Square
Arteccentrix is excited to announce the upcoming opening of Cayman’s newest and only fine art gallery in Governor’s Square.
The past few weeks have been a flurry of frantic activity and meetings with Mr Bobby Bodden, the owner of the Governor’s Square complex on Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. Mr Bodden and his staff have worked miracles to ensure that the long held dream of artist and Arteccentrix owner Nickola McCoy-Snell, a fine art gallery for Cayman, will soon be opening its doors to the public.
Since the closure of the Morgan Gallery in Galleria Plaza last year, art lovers on the island have been deprived of a place to view beautiful artwork by the island’s top artisans and the artists themselves lost the invaluable asset of a commercial venue to display their artwork.
With the opening of the Arteccentrix Gallery, a commercial venue for the viewing and buying public and a showcase for the leading artists in Cayman will once again a part of the local art scene.
At present, the gallery space is being fitted out by a great crew who have been working non-stop to create a wonderful environment for customers and artists alike. The opening date is still unconfirmed, but initial plans will see the gallery open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
Arteccentrix - A Gallery In Progress!
We will of course announce full details as soon as they are known, along with an official grand opening at a time and date to be specified. We don’t want to give too much away regarding the artists and the work that will be on display when the gallery opens – we hope that residents and visitors alike will call in to see us and rest assured, there is going to be some breathtaking work to view.
It is our hope that whether you come to buy or just to browse and connect with us, that any visit to the gallery will be a memorable one. We will continue to offer fine art giclee prints all made on the island, as well as original paintings, carvings and sculptures, aiming as we always have to make fine art accessible and affordable for everyone.
Arteccentrix will be the venue for solo exhibitions by a diverse range of local artists throughout the year and has already confirmed that it will host the annual Native Sons exhibition in 2010.
For notification of all Arteccentrix updates become a Facebook fan, subscribe to our newsletter or RSS Feed or add us to your Google toolbar – whichever suits you best! Watch this space for all the latest news news on the opening of Cayman’s newest fine art gallery and updates regarding all events and shows.
Debit and Credit Cards Now Accepted At Arteccentrix Gallery.
Arteccentrix Gallery is now accepting debit and credit cards for your shopping convenience. Due to the demand for these services we have elected to now offer them.
Local customers, we have acquired the Cayman National Wireless credit card machine. This allows us to accommodate you whenever or wherever you are, we bring art right to you. No more hanging about on your lunch hour you can order from us and have it delivered to your office or home.
For our friendly cruise shippers who would like to place an order for a print or original to be delivered to the cruise berthing on the day of your visit and pay with your credit card. This is now an option.
For all other international orders being placed and paid for by credit card please contact us for further information & help.
Thank you ever so much for you support during 2009, we are looking forward to bigger and better things in the coming year when we take our online gallery into the physical world at a commercial venue near you.
Note* Sorry but we do not currently accept American Express Cards.
Facebook Fan Page – Art Prize Draw
UPDATE!!
Art Prize Draw For Facebook Fans Winner – Donny Connor, Cayman Islands
We did the random drawing on November 19 and the first name up on our digital “fruit machine” was Donny Connor who has been notified and whose print will be delivered as soon as possible. Thanks to all our fans and look out for more draws in the new year. We still have not had an international winner yet, but wherever you are in the world you can win prizes as an Arteccentrix Facebook fan – all it takes is the luck of the draw!!
We have decided that all our Facebook fan page members deserve something for their support and will conduct a random drawing in mid November where the prize will be a 12×9 paper giclee print, matted and ready for framing, just like those we sell on the site. The print will be “Humble Beginnings” by Nickola McCoy.
All you need to do to be eligible for a chance to win is to become an ArtecentrixGallery fan on Facebook. (See the link in the right hand menu of this page). If you are not a member already, just go and sign up and you will be automatically entered to win.
While on the subject of prizes, we will also be making a draw from our database of past customers to win an original Painting by Nickola so if you have bought a print from us in the past year you will be entered into that draw too. The painting that will be given away is still not decided but we will let everyone know the final decision soon. The draw will again take place around mid November so watch out for an email from us if you are the lucky winner.
Cayman Islands Art Videos
We have just uploaded a couple of videos of some of the beautiful art by Cayman Islands artists, using the work of Nickola McCoy – Snell, Randy Chollette, John Broad, Renate Seffer, Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Gordon Solomon and Sue Widmer.
The first concentrates mainly on the sights and past of the Cayman Islands and can be seen below.
The second video contains a lot more abstract work and features the work of just three artists – Nickola McCoy-Snell, Gordon Solomon and Randy Chollette. The variety of art in the Cayman islands is well represented by these two videos and hopefully gives readers an idea of just what is available for all art lovers.
We hope you enjoy the videos and will share them with others. We welcome your comments and questions.
Miss Universe – Cayman Art Auctioned For Charity
Although the Miss Universe pageant is over we would like to pass on our good wishes to the entire Cayman Islands delegation and our beautiful Miss Cayman Islands, Nicosia Lawson who did our islands proud on the world stage recently.
Photo By Karen Kelly Elliott - All Rights Reserved
The National Gift Auction at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday, August 13, 2009 is part of the preparations for the Miss Universe competition. In the charity auction where each nation contributed an item or items from their respective homelands we are pleased to have been given the chance to provide two fine art prints of typical Cayman scenes. In the attached picture, Miss Cayman presents a canvas giclee of “Aaah” by Randy Chollette (top) and a framed paper giclee of “Lassie’s Sanctuary” by Nickola McCoy-Snell (bottom).
We would love to be able to confirm how much was raised through the sale of the two pictures although we cannot do so at present.
We also extend our thanks to the organizers for using our work and that of the two artists involved. We hope that the new owners of the prints will enjoy them for many years to come.
Photographs of all the contestants and their respective auctioned items can be found at GlobalBeauties.com Miss Universe 2009.
(For prices on prints that are not listed on the website, please use our contact form for your requirements. The images shown in the photograph are of a 24×18 on canvas and a 12×9 on paper).
Print Prize Draw For Subscribers and Customers
UPDATE – 7 September 2009 – Winners Announced!
Congratulations to the winners of our first prize draw. The two lucky people drawn today were Mr Timothy McCarthy from our newsletter subscriber base, and past customer Ms Norma McField. Both have been notified by email.
To all those who were not lucky this time around, we wish you good luck in the next draw which we will of course announce here on the website.
We promised subscribers to our newsletter that we would be conducting prize draws once the site was launched and the good news is that we are ready to start the process this month.
We have picked a print of Nickola McCoy’s work entitled “Heading Home” which was part of a series of small whimsical views of bygone Cayman that were painted a couple of years ago and were popular with collectors of Nickola’s work and have also become a favorite as reproductions.
The prize prints will be 12×9 on quality textured fine art paper and will be exactly the same as the products we sell. They will be matted ready for a frame. All you have to do is sit back and wait for notification that you are a winner.
The good news is that as we have only recently launched, our subscriber list is still relatively small so all of you who have signed up will have an extremely good chance in the first draw! If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late to register for this first drawing. We plan to do the draw on Monday September 7 2009 so there are still a few days left to join in the fun.
There is more good news too – we also announced that we would give away an original painting to one lucky customer before year’s end, and that is still going to happen. However, we have also decided to do another draw for a second print of Heading Home for past customers. If you have purchased a print from us you will be entered into the draw automatically.
A quality Cayman art print to keep or give to someone as a gift: free, gratis and for nothing.
We will notify both winners by email as soon as the draws are done on Monday and publish the results here on the website and remember, all you need to do to qualify for this and future Cayman art print giveaways is to drop your name and email address into the box on the right side of this page and confirm your decision to join our newsletter. We never spam and your information will be held in the strictest of confidence always.
If you know anyone who you think would like to win quality Cayman art please let them know about us too.
We look forward to notifying the two lucky winners and wish you good luck!
Nickola & Maurice
