The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and the Cayman National Cultural Foundation were proud to support artist John Reno Jackson in attending the sixth iteration of Caribbean Linked.
Caribbean Linked is an artist-in-residence programme in Aruba hosted annually by Ateliers ‘89, The Fresh Milk Art Platform, and ARC Magazine. It is a crucial space for building awareness across disparate creative communities by bringing together emerging artists from Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanic and Dutch Antillean Caribbean islands. Artist Simon Tatum was previously supported by the NGCI to represent the Cayman Islands at the residency.
This iteration saw artists, writers and curators from around the Caribbean living and working together from 25 July–16 August. In addition to creating work, they toured the island and engaged with cultural spaces; gave artist talks about their works for the duration of the residency; and showcased the outcome of their time in Aruba in the form of a contemporary art exhibition.
Jackson was joined by artists Vesuhely Americaan (Curaçao), Claudio Arnell (Saint Martin), Taisha Carrington (Barbados), Romelinda Maldonado (Aruba), Justin Reinir Croes (Aruba/The Netherlands), Sarabel Santos-Negrón (Puerto Rico), Samuel Sarmiento (Aruba/Venezuela) and Béliza Troupé (Guadeloupe), along with writer-in-residence Ethan Knowles (Bahamas), and curator-in-residence Sofía Olascoaga (Mexico).
He received joint funding to attend the programme from NGCI and CNCF, who both recognise residencies as critical platforms for professional and creative development.
“CNCF and NGCI, through their respective Grants for the Arts programme and ‘Artists Away’ training grant, were proud to support John Reno’s practice and congratulate him on his acceptance to the programme,” said Natalie Urquhart, director and chief curator of the National Gallery. “Residencies offer an important component of an artist’s development as they provide an opportunity to live and work outside of their usual environments and a chance to reflect, research, or produce work. Caribbean Linked is unique as it brings together artists and curators from across the Caribbean in dialogue about our shared histories and experiences.”
For Jackson, the experience has been a rewarding one.
“I have loved connecting and sharing a space with other emerging/regional artists and creatives; it has helped me to reevaluate aspects of my practice and consider my place within the region,” he said. “Bringing together so many different nationalities has helped us focus on what identity means in the post-colonial space.”
Jackson will now head to the UK to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London.
Both grant programmes are open to local creatives. Information and application deadlines can be found via the CNCF site artscayman.org/grants-for-the-arts or by emailing [email protected].
Related Videos
