Chef Thomas Buckley, Executive Chef of Nobu Restaurants, along with his team will fly to Jamaica to craft an authentic re-creation from the restaurant’s popular menu this March 29, 30 and 31 at Strawberry Hill.

A select few gourmet enthusiasts will be treated to Nobu’s Omakase (9 course chef tasting menu) to include Nobu’s signature dishes with a few surprises. Guests will be greeted with Nobu’s signature cocktail lychee martini and a surprise Nobu special made of Jamaica’s Appleton Rum.

Later in the evening, Chef Buckley will be available for a book signing of his popular cookbook co-written with the owner of Nobu restaurants, Celebrity Chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, “The Party Cookbook.” Books will be presigned by Nobu.

Reservations are available by calling Strawberry Hill at 944-8400.

The cost is U$160 per person. This includes a nine course meal with wine pairings. It also includes pre-dinner cocktails.

Photo courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/silenceofdagger/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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In the Land of Dreams

Fiona Godfrey has been commissioned to do a huge 75ft mural for the Montego Bay airport. YardEdge talks to Fiona about what it takes to accomplish this mammoth task and about being an artist in Jamaica…

Mural in progress

YE: Why are you an artist?

Fiona: I am an artist because it’s something that comes naturally to me. As a child I enjoyed drawing or doing anything creative, and as I realized how expansive the world of creativity was, I wanted to explore in it more than anything else. This world is still compelling to me, and the combination of the aesthetics of interesting marks and lines, the subtleties of palette, the tension of composition and the opportunities of communication and expression through images is always present in my thinking.

YE: When did you first realize that you were an artist or wanted to become one?

Fiona: I’m not sure that I had an ambition to ‘become’ an artist; it was the natural option as I left school as it was relatively effortless for me. Art College seemed to offer the promise of exciting projects, technical expertise, and a range of possibilities with no limitations. I often wondered what the greater meaning of it was, though, and that search for meaning was not answered within the structure of College.

Although I worked in Design and painted for many years, it was not until later in life and I had lived through maturing experiences on a personal level that I found my ‘voice’. It was only when I began to express my own inner journey through paint, a blending of my aesthetic sensibility with my personal story, that I felt I had ‘become’ an artist. My profession, my skill, became integrated into my ‘sense of being’ as a person.

YE: How would you describe your work?

Fiona: My work is always figurative, but it works better when there’s an abstract quality to the paint application. When the marks are looser and I exert less control, and the paint begins to lead the way, the piece in general becomes more pleasing; this is a constant challenge! I enjoy working with line and glazes these days, and am moving away from the more traditional mixing of colours and the painting with flat strokes that I’ve used for years. I work in oils and acrylics mostly. In my subject matter I try to capture a feeling of humanity, of sensitivity, of inner space. The human spirit is my muse.

YE: What other artists have influenced you and how?

Fiona: Matisse for his fluidity and use of colour; Frida Kahlo for her soul; Van Gogh for his passion; Botticelli for perfection; Fra Angelico for his quiet palette; El Greco for line, madness and insane composition. Of Jamaican artists I love Albert Huie for adept paint application, Carl Abrahams for his visions and sure lines and shapes, Eugene Hyde for his luscious paintwork, and Roberta Stoddart for her sensitivity. All the early Russian and Greek icon paintings are a source of awe, as are many of the Renaissance portraits and Madonnas. I always go to galleries and museums when I travel and will often be struck by a piece by a relatively unknown artist, and am equally open to flaking paint on an old door or sign, or light on a landscape, or the crashing of waves. There is beauty everywhere.

YE: What other interests do you have outside of creating art?

Fiona: I suppose my main interest is what it is to be human… and all expressions of that, so I love good music, good film and good literature, good food, dancing, interesting conversation ….and most of all I like being outdoors, by the sea or in the mountains, and walking. I have a regular yoga practice which has led me to explore life in a more metaphysical way, and to this end I read extensively the writings of spiritual teachers and try to incorporate their teachings into my life.

YE: Where are you from originally?

Fiona: Ireland.

YE: Where did you study art?

Fiona: In Cork and Dublin in Ireland.

YE: What inspires you?

Fiona: Life. Living is a constant unfolding of miracles – in all the ‘ordinary’ encounters. The perfect natural harmony throughout nature, the magnificent perfection of the interwoven fabric of this physical world; the dignity and humor and lovingness of people one meets from day to day; the infinity of the world of discovery; the synchronicity of events that unfold to lead us on our journeys of growth. Life is a laboratory, and if we can witness what is without projecting our personalities onto everything, it is a constant source of inspiration.

YE: What has been your biggest challenge as an artist?

Fiona: Probably what I’m working on now, a 75’ x 8’ mural for the Montego Bay airport. It’s big…

I’ve never before worked on anything so big, and the scale of it is demanding a whole new approach, so I’m currently on a big learning curve ( a favourite place to be!). I can no longer stay up close to the piece and share a small space with it: I’m having to step back 30 feet every time I make any marks to see if the impact is what I want, and then to see if it’s working in relation to the other forms on a 75’ stretch. Because of this I’m taking a long time to establish the composition…and the palette is changing too, having started with bright colours that looked gaudy because there was SO much!

Each panel measures 8’ x 4’, so I found the muted palette allowed for more impact when colour is introduced… and then of course there’s the quality of the line – it’s had to become a lot more dramatic and definite. So, not only is the size of the mural challenging, but my whole approach to it has demanded that I grow and develop and rise to all the challenges presented. It’s one huge problem-solving experience, but every now and then I have breakthrough and I love it! For example, I’ve painted so many scenes that just don’t ‘read’ with everything else and have had to be painted out with a big house brush loaded with white paint – and after a few such white-outs, a surface of texture is created which is just lovely to glaze over. So I am developing a new style that excites me, and that’s the biggest challenge of all.

YE: Do you enjoy doing art as a “business”?

Fiona: I am very undeveloped business-wise. I teach a course, Young at Art, to many adults and children, and this is the only way I know how to be business-like, as I’m paid once a term and don’t have to think about money again. When it comes to my own work, I just paint. There’s no guarantee it’ll sell, and chances are if I really like it I won’t want to sell, so that’s not very business-like….

YE:  How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

Fiona:  If it’s commissioned illustration work for magazines or products, it’s straightforward.

Same with classes. Personal work is something I do without thinking about money. My intention from now is to be more focused on this aspect of things as I’d like to always have work, and that will involve a determined effort on my part regarding the business-side of things…

YE: Where do you get your ideas from? How do you begin?

Fiona: If it’s commissioned I work with a loose spec. and develop with the client. If it’s personal it usually comes to me and it gets developed somewhat as I paint. I begin with sketching, always.

YE: Has your style changed at all through the years?

Fiona: Yes. I hope it’s getting looser, and less colourful, and hopefully a little more confident.

YE:  How would people who know you describe you?

Fiona: I just asked my daughter and she wants to know if it’s a multiple choice answer….

Then she said , ‘Free’. Others have described me as joyous, spiritual, fun-loving, compassionate.

YE: If you could be doing anything you wanted, what would that be?

Fiona: Swimming in the deep blue sea.

YE:  Do you have a favorite artist?

Fiona: Kids – all kids’ work.

YE: What makes you happy?

Fiona: Being with good friends, and being in nature, and with my family, and listening to great musicians play. And when kids – either my own or others – are happy. And laughter! And seeing my students enjoying their potential, developing their gifts, and discovering their own limitness. And dancing, and yoga, and funny conversations!

YE: What makes you sad?

Fiona: Poverty, violence, injustice, corruption. Man’s inhumanity to man.

YE: What really irritates you?

Fiona: Deception. Power-tripping. Hidden agendas.

YE: What are you working on now? Tell us about your upcoming show…

Fiona: The Montego Bay Airport Immigration Hall mural. A very big painting of a beach scene with cameos of Jamaican life throughout. In the background are Jamaican towns and countryside, hills and mountains, and typically Jamaican sights, such as goats, coconut sellers, boys fishing and so on.

YE: Anything else you want to add?

Fiona: Jamaica has given me so many gifts.

It is here that I raised my two beautiful daughters, homeschooling them in Mandeville in a gracious old house situated in a sunny garden. From that foundation of joy they are growing into strong young women and are great companions to me.

I have met marvelous people here and have developed life-long friendships.

The beauty and the variety of the land is awesome, from Treasure Beach to Portland to the North Coast.

And the people! I have learnt so much about the Art of Living from the Jamaican people; their humor and resilience, their gentleness and strength, their faith and humility, their creativity and expression and style. I came to Jamaica to teach in a Place of Safety for Boys At Risk (street kids, abandoned and abused young boys), and I give thanks that this was my entry to Jamaica as I learnt from them the gift it is to be alive, even without all the things we take for granted, like loving parents, a home, an education, and opportunities. Their vitality and openness will always remain with me.

You can contact Fiona at fionamg1@hotmail.com.

The Witness Tree

Of Birth and Butterflies

Mural

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Please support these events this weekend for the Rotary Race to Literacy

FRIDAY

Rotary First Friday at the Deck – March is Literacy Month

6pm-10pm

March 5th

The Deck, Trafalgar Rd

Admission Free

Join Rotarians and members of the Rotary Family for regular first Friday of the month social.

SATURDAY

Breathe For Books

A magical yoga practice with Sharon McConnell-Feanny of Shakti

March 6th

East Lawn, Devon House

Register at 10 am. Class at 10:30-12

Bring a towel and a mat

Cost $1,000

Book donations welcome

Event made possible by: Devon House, Shakti, Elite Events, Everyting Clean, Andre’s Auto Supplies and Wata (Wisynco)

For more info on the Rotary Race to Literacy Project

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SeBiArt aka Berette Macaulay has entered her video “LABYRINTH OF FOREVER: Doorway for the Spirit Chasers” in the annual Art For Progress competition: Clash of the Artists 2010 and needs your vote!

It’s a small annual global contest with a handful of competitive categories: Visual Art, Music, Film, Fashion, DJ, and Creative.  Berette’s video is in the Creative category.

This video is truly awesome with text by Steve “Urchin” Wilson and directed (shot by Fury Young).

To see video, for more info and TO VOTE. Voting ends on March 10.

See YardEdge interview with Berette Macaulay

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Chris Harris - Folly Estate

“Art Fresh”, being opened on Thursday March 4 at the Mutual Gallery at 7pm, is yet another demonstration of talent amongst the younger generation of artists.

Taking part in this year’s exhibition are sixteen artists, mostly graduates from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. In painting, there are Camille Chedda, Raymond Graham, Andrae Green, Oliver Myrie and Kai Watson, who resides in Atlanta, USA, and two artists from the wider Caribbean, Robert Joyette (St. Vincent) and Robbert Enfield (B.V.I.).

Cosmo Whyte - Sammy Dead

Tricia Gordon Johnston and Sana Rose entered collage works, while Kirk Moore’s piece is a wall assemblage in mixed media. O’Neil Lawrence will not disappoint with his photographs nor will Cosmo Whyte who has entered photographs and charcoal drawings.

Two entries came from the United States and Japan. They are Ebony G. Patterson’s mixed media works from her Gangsta Series and Oneika Russell’s digital prints. Tracey Franklin, a self-taught artist and the intuitive art of Chris Harris complete this year’s selection.

The jury was composed of Annie Paul, Publications Officer, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, UWI, Hope Brooks, former director of Studies at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts and Gilou Bauer, Curator, Mutual Gallery.

The exhibition is being staged in conjunction with RBTT, National Commercial Bank, Super Plus Food Stores, Carreras Group of Companies, Ideal Portfolio Services Co., Island Mist Spring Water, NEM Insurance Company, BCIC, Scotia Private Client Group, KOOL 97, and 1876 Wines.

The guest speaker for the opening will be Mr. Donovan Perkins, President & CEO, Pan Caribbean Financial Services Ltd.

The exhibition closes on 3 April 2010.

Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. and Sat. from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

For more information contact: The Mutual Gallery – Tel. 929-4302  Gilou Bauer or Tina Malcolm

Robert Joyette - Yele to Haiti

Some Are Still Alive

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Photographer Joanna Francis

Wednesday, Feb 24, YardEdge and Brand New Machine presented the Exhibitionist “Picture This” which showcased the talents of three young up and coming Jamaican photographers:  Joanna Francis, Julian Cresser and Neil E. Williams.

Check out the YardEdge interviews with Neil E. Williams and Joanna Francis.

The photography displayed was exciting and varied and proved that photography as an art form is alive and well in Jamaica.

The night’s attractions also featured guest DJ’s Engineroom and Diplo (M.IA., Santigold, Major Lazer) who had the house jumping all night long…

See facebook page for more photos.

Photographer Neil E. Williams

Photographer Julian Cresser

Diplo

Engineroom, Chris Stone & Liz Ewart

Joanna Francis & friend

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The Philip Sherlock Center for the Creative Arts is presenting the 2nd Annual Jamaica Dance Umbrella (JDU) from Friday March 5th to Sunday March 7th.

This amazing dance event is being dubbed “a celebration of excellence in dance theater” and is dedicated this year to Professor Rex Nettleford.

Last year I went to almost all performances and can testify that the quality of dance was first class and highly entertaining.

Companies being featured this year include, Ashe, The Company, L’Acadco, Maria Hitchins and Dancers of Jamaica, Dancing Dynamites, ProMoves, Shady Squad, University Dance Society, Dance Theater Xaymaca, Kyisha Patterson, Lisa Wilson, Neila Ebanks and Tamara Thomas.

Check out YardEdge interview with Maria Hitchins and many other interviews with dancers and choreographers in the “Dance” category.

The center is also hosting the 1st annual Junior Dance Umbrella, a mini-cultural exchange through movement to encourage young performers. This is a free event featuring the talents of Ascot Dance Troupe, the junior members of The Company, D’oro Dance Ensemble, Edna Manley’s Junior Department, Meadowbrook Dance Troupe, Praise Academy of Dance, Tivoli Dance Troupe and Wolmers Dance Troupe. The Junior Dance Umbrella will also host visiting dancers from The Taft School in Connecticut.

The Jamaica Dance Umbrella started in 2009 as the culminating section of 2009’s Philip Sherlock International Arts Festival, a fundraiser for the Philip Sherlock Theater at UWI. It was a very popular and well attended part of the entire Festival. The JDU celebrates excellence in Jamaican dance and pulls together many of our top performers in the same evenings.

The Junior Dance Umbrella’s objective is to support and encourage young performers in a non-competitive setting.

All performances will be held at the Philip Sherlock Theater, UWI Mona, March 5th til March 7th. There will be a Friday and Saturday performance beginning ay 8pm, and a Sunday performance at 7pm. The Junior Dance Umbrella will be held Sunday March 7th at 2pm.

Proceeds will go towards the refurbishing of the Philip Sherlock Theater.

Programme line up:

FRIDAY

• Dance Theater Xamayca
• Tamara Thomas
• Lisa Wilson and Michelle Patterson
• Kyisha Patterson
• Neila Ebanks
• Kofi Walker
• Dancin’ Dynamites

SATURDAY

• ProMoves
• Neila Ebanks
• Shady Squad
• Kyisha Patterson
• Mooretech Dance Centre
• Marlon Simms

SUNDAY

• UDS
• The Company Dance Theatre
• Maria Hitchins and Dancers of Jamaica
• Lisa Wilson and Michelle Patterson
• Marlon Simms
• L’Acadco

$500 with a student ID, $1000 without

See YardEdge interview with Kyisha Patterson

See YardEdge interview with Neila Ebanks

For ticketing information please call or visit the Phillip Sherlock Center for the Creative Arts, UWI, Mona, (876)-927-1047.

For more information see the facebook group

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A special appeal for children…

Scholastic has made available to the Rotary Race to Literacy Project special books for children – with interactive features and textures. Scholastic not only makes ideal early childhood education books, but they are offering books in their packages that cannot be sourced locally – books that the experts have advised are ideal for special needs.

However, donations are needed to be able to source these books. ALL money collected – less service fees from the financial intermediaries – will buy children’s books.

The offers from Scholastic expires on March 15th so there is some urgency to be able to get the books here.  These special books are not available in Jamaica – English books with textures, and Haitian Creole/English bilingual books.

For the English books from Scholastic, US$10 buys 4 books.

See below for more information on the project and how to make a donation to this worthy cause.

Blog: rotaryracetoliteracy.org

Facebook: facebook.com/rotaryracetoliteracy

For more information you can also email rotaryracetoliteracy@live.com.

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RiseUp, directed by Luciano Blotta features reggae greats such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and many up and coming rising stars.  This film is being hailed as “the best reggae film since The Harder They Come”.

Read more at Blackstar News

See  website for RiseUp

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Cherry Natural

The Golden Tongue Award will be awarded to the winners of an annual poetry competition taking place in Mandeville on February 28th.

The entrant(s) will be asked to write a poem depicting and reflecting some aspect of Jamaican life in a positive and realistic way. The poems entered will be judged by the panel of adjudicators, most likely consisting of: Professor Mervyn Morris, Professor Carolyn Cooper, Professor Barry Chevannes, Cherry Natural, Mutabaruka, Ann Marie Wilmot, Amina Blackwood-Meeks and Joan Andrea Hutchinson.

The winner will recieve the Golden Tongue Award (GTA), a laptop and other incentives while the two runners-up will recieve GTA trophies and other incentives, all courtesy of JIIC. The winner will also gain the right to perform his/her poem at ‘Poetry in Motion’ and other related events.

The Golden Tongue Award is being created to stimulate responsible interest in the performing arts generally and poetry specifically. It is hoped that this will inspire and promote social awareness among Jamaicans and instill a sustainable interest in social responsibility, creative writing, literature and the Jamaican culture and heritage.

The Golden Tongue Award is open to all ages and individual citizens living in the island of Jamaica, however, the works will be judged within the context of age.

To enter: submit a poem along with the entry form which is available upon request through all JIIC offices island wide, the Ministry of Education regional offices or via email – goldentongueaward@gmail.com.

As the GTA develops, it will include short stories, compositions, letters, skits/plays and visual arts. It will also grow to include the Jamaican Diaspora.

For more info contact:

Poetry in Motion

Edutainment Promotion

Tel: (876) 904-9690

Email: edutainmentpromo@yahoo.com

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