It’s a space to create, connect and collaborate. Gram Bella’s is a community arts project space in North Side that aims to foster artistic exploration, spark dialogue and cultivate events within a safe, inclusive environment.
The project is spearheaded by Caymanian Kerri-Anne Chisholm, an artist, curator and PhD student.
“Gram Bella’s, as a project space, exists as a site of inclusion and to be used as a stage for exploration,” she says.
“It exists to create possibilities for our local communities to speak for themselves and of their experiences.”
That includes showcasing artworks, hosting local events and serving as a venue for a broad range of undertakings, spanning from dance classes and workshops to community discussions and gatherings.
“It is not only a space, but a stage open for possibilities,” says Kerri-Anne.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Gram Bella’s inaugural project was developed by Kerri-Anne and fellow creative Latoya Francis for the National Gallery’s 3rd Cayman Islands Biennial in 2023.
‘Written in the Foundations’ captured a certificate of commendation in the Emerging Artists Award category.
The multi-faceted project included recording and presenting conversations with local residents surrounding gathering spaces in North Side, from past to present. It incorporated polaroid portraits of residents, spoken word and site mappings, with a second installation simultaneously on view at the National Gallery.
In May of 2024, Gram Bella’s hosted Iain MacRae’s solo exhibition ‘Another Young Caymanian’ for Cayman Art Week.
His series was showcased later in the year alongside works by Scott Braque from Jamaica in the exhibition ‘Dialogues at Play’.
The show highlighted the cultural connections between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, exploring the shared experiences of childhood and upbringing in both countries.
FUTURE PLANS
On tap for the space is a series of local and regional film screenings and exhibitions. Gram Bella’s is also planning a community space for young professional women of faith, tentatively set to launch in spring of 2025.
The non-profit is also looking to secure more exchanges with regional and international artists as well as develop Gram Bella’s physical building and surrounding site, including a herb and flower garden.
Gram Bella’s evolved through Kerri-Anne’s research as a PhD student at the University of Reading, and Zurich University of the Arts.
She also visited similar sites, holding discussions with creatives running the spaces, including Alice Yard in Trinidad, Beta Local in Puerto Rico and OVADA in England.
Her close relationship with the National Gallery – Kerri-Anne is a former gallery team member – was also an impetus.
“I felt there was a need for a community space that works alongside (the gallery) and provides opportunities to support our quickly growing creative ecosystem in Cayman,” she says.
NOD TO THE PAST
The name Gram Bella’s is a nod to Kerri-Anne’s ancestry, and Cayman’s history.
“It is the site where my fraternal great-great grandparents, Arabella and John Bodden, resided and the property was locally referred to as Gram Bella’s,” she says.
The site of the project space, located across from Chisholm Grocery Store, is where their backyard and traditional outdoor ‘caboose’ was once located.
Back in the day, it served as a gathering point for locals to find out the latest news or collect food as they were making their way to Grape Tree Point or OId Man Bay.
“This is where the concept of occupying the backyard space originated in my heart and research,” says Kerri-Anne.
Those interested in proposing a creative event or workshop can contact Kerri-Anne Chisholm at [email protected] or on Instagram @gram.bellas.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024/2025 issue of What’s Hot magazine.
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