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
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.
Cayman Artist John Broad Joins With Arteccentrix
We are pleased to announce that Cayman artist John Broad has agreed to work with us and you can now find a selection of his wonderful art on the site. We hope to expand the availability of John’s work in the near future and will hopefully be adding some of his original works too.
John has worked as an artist for most of his life and his work has become highly collectible, so the chance to own a high quality giclee of his artwork is an exciting development. John’s work epitomizes life in the Caribbean and in the Cayman Islands using bright and bold colors and movement.
Here you can view some of John’s artwork that we currently have available as prints in a full range of sizes and formats. Please check our giclee price listings for all sizes.
You can view prints of all our participating artists via the links in the right hand menu.
If you live on the island, remember that we will deliver your order free of charge and if you are overseas, we can ship anywhere in the world. We hope you enjoy the art of John Broad and that you will check back often for updates to his gallery of prints and originals. For all enquiries including commissioned pieces please use our contact form and let us know your requirements.
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
Original Paintings For Sale
Cayman Art – Original paintings from the Arteccentrix artists can be viewed below.
Cayman artists include Nickola McCoy-Snell, Randy Chollette, Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette, Gordon Solomon, Sue Widmer, Renate Seffer, Al Ebanks and Luelan Bodden and others may well be featured either now or in the future.
Where prices are quoted, they do not include shipping.
All of these Cayman artists are established names and are widely collected around the world and most will work on commissions if requested. They are all in the top percentile of Cayman’s artists in terms of both artistic output and commercial success. Please contact us here at Arteccentrix for all enquiries and purchases.
The following originals are currently available for sale. Please check back regularly for updates to available pieces or subscribe to the Arteccentrix feed where we will post details of new paintings when they become available.
Click on any image for a larger view and details of prices.
