More than 300 pieces win visual arts awards during NIFCA showcase

Just over 300 pieces won visual arts awards during this year’s National Cultural Foundation (NCF) National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) showcase.

During the opening ceremony for this year’s exhibit, being held in the Queen’s Park Gallery and Queen’s Park Steel Shed, Oneka Small, Curator at the NCF, said that the foundation continues to be pleased with the contributions being seen from all aspects of the society, in particular the schools.

“In the preliminary stages we have 317 pieces, which would have gained bronze, silver, and gold awards across all sectors of society. We have 67 golds, those 67 golds are in the Queen’s Park Gallery where we have branded it ‘Simply Gold’, and the other 350 bronze and silvers are in the Steel Shed,” she said.

She further added that one of the standout pieces this year received widespread praise from the panel of judges.

“There has been one piece that has been stunning everybody, and this is a piece by Ryan Alleyne, it’s called ‘Bajan Home Essentials’. That piece gained the Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Original Entry in Visual Arts, and a hands down unanimous decision, it also gained the 50th Anniversary NIFCA Award.”

Meanwhile, Andrea Wells, Chief Cultural Officer at the NCF, said that NIFCA continues to provide a healthy platform for upcoming artists, both young and old, to develop their craft in a supportive environment.

She also praised the NCF’s work over the years in involving individuals who are incarcerated to take part in the festival, as visual arts often proves to be a healthy path for persons to reintroduce themselves back into society.

“This has been, I think, one of the unsung but heroic stories of NIFCA; we’ve had persons who have come through that programme, who have then left their period of incarceration and come out and decided because of the awards they got and the recognition they got in this relatively small national community festival, showed them that there was another way for them to be in the community.

“Another way for them to create, and contribute, and be recognised for positive works. That sort of affirmation is what makes people feel proud to be part of a nation, and want to continue to contribute in positive ways to the nation.”

(SB)