097 184x300 Nickola McCoy

Caribbean Art – Nickola McCoy-Snell Cayman Islands Artist

News: Visit The 100 Paintings in 100 Days Gallery – All Originals CI$100

Nickola McCoy-Snell was born and has lived most of her life in the Cayman Islands where she is already recognized as one of the country’s finest talents to emerge in recent years and is also widely acknowledged as the country’s most progressive and outspoken female artist. She studied art at the University College of the Cayman Islands.

Her creativity is a gift that has been with her from birth, although unlike many children Nickola remembers that art was never something she was encouraged to pursue. In fact she was constantly counseled against it and invariably told that it was a frivolous activity and a “waste of time”. In spite of such early negativity towards her passion, she did not allow the discouragement to dissuade her from following what she believed was the path that life intended her to follow, a philosophy she retains to this day.

Her drive and determination in all aspects of her life is epitomized by her passion as an artist and the unrivaled emotion that she can bring to a canvas or a three dimensional piece. Famous primarily for her big and bold abstract pieces and her love and use of strong primary colours her work rarely fails to evoke strong reactions from the public and critics alike. Far from being one dimensional however, Nickola’s work is a constantly evolving and shifting palette that mirrors the energy and enthusiasm associated with her attitude towards life, and the depth of emotion and soul she invests in her art. Unlike many Caribbean artists, Nickola’s take on Caribbean art is invariably headed in a completely different direction from the traditional expectations of the region.

Nickola has the distinction of being the first winner of Cayman’s highest artistic achievement award, The “McCoy Prize” for Excellence in Caymanian Art in 2002, following it up five years later by winning the honours in the “Fine Art” category of the “McCoy Prize” in 2007, to top it off she captured the “People’s Choice Award” in the same category of the same year.

In 2002 she also received the Cayman National Cultural Foundation Artistic Achievement Award and her work was used for the cover of the first edition of the Cayman Islands Poetry Society’s annual book release in 2005.

Mrs. McCoy-Snell is also very socially active in her support of local charities, most recently raising funds for the Cayman Cancer Society through a solo exhibition in 2007 at The Morgan Gallery where her work was regularly on display until the gallery’s closure in 2009.

Over many years she has also offered numerous paintings for solo auction in aid of the National Junior Achievement Program at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman in concert with the Million Dollar Race organized by the Ugland Foundation. She has also used her artwork to raise funds for the Cayman Island Seamen’s Association, the Cayman Islands National Trust and the Cayman Heart Foundation as well as donating her time and experience as an artist and teacher to various voluntary groups in the Cayman Islands.

Nickola owns and manages Arteccentrix Fine Art Services and can regularly be seen working in her studio and private gallery premises in George Town as the leading artist in residence. As Nickola said in a recent interview – “Everything I am is about art” and her passion and drive to promote and further the perception, understanding and acceptance of fine art in the Cayman Islands is unrivalled.

Since 2008 Nickola has worked tirelessly and selflessly to promote a large number of artists in the Cayman Islands and with the development of the new Arteccentrix studio and gallery in 2011, after an enforced sabbatical of several years, comes the re-emergence of the artist whose work has earned her a special place in the hearts of many art lovers and collectors in Cayman and around the world.

As both an artist and entrepreneur, Nickola constantly pushes the envelope, never accepting the status quo or viewing anything as immutable or immovable, she constantly seeks to break the mold. Tirelessly challenging the established order, she is an innovative and forward thinking maverick; the quintessential artist.

Nickola’s latest paintings can be viewed in her virtual gallery below and her work will remain available exclusively at the Arteccentrix studio and gallery in George Town via this website.

Many of the paintings in the gallery, plus a wide selection of past works are available online as high quality prints which can be viewed at Nickola McCoy-Snell’s Fine Art Print Gallery

To View The Gallery as a Slideshow – Click The Start Slideshow Link To The Right

Start Slideshow