Local artists are exploring the rich tapestry of Caymanian cultural iconography, symbols, and emblems in a new exhibition ‘A Story in Symbols,’ which is now opened to the public at the National Gallery.
The new exhibition, which runs through 3 September in the Gallery’s Dart Auditorium/Community Gallery, “invites viewers on a journey through varying stylistic interpretations of Cayman’s official national symbols including our Cayman Parrot, Silver Thatch Palm, and the Banana Orchid, as well as beloved icons such as the Green Sea Turtle and the Cayman Catboat, in addition to artistic depictions of our Coat of Arms and National Flag,” a National Gallery press release noted.
The exhibition includes “both realistic illustrations of the subjects, as well as more creative interpretations that reflect on the way in which the subject matter has inspired the creative community. Through a thoughtfully curated collection of paintings and sculpture, the exhibition aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the motifs that are central to the Caymanian narrative,” the release stated.
Alongside the exhibition are two new episodes of the National Gallery’s Culture & Heritage Series exploring Turtling Industry and Silver Thatch respectively. These short films will run on a loop inside the exhibition.
An intern inspired exhibition
It was the Gallery’s curatorial intern Arabella “Coco” Stocker who turned her graduating project from her training with the department into this exhibition.
From its preliminary conceptual phase through to completion, Stocker said it’s been an honour to develop the exhibition and to “demonstrate the key skills and practices which I have learnt throughout my year-long internship. Working under the guidance of the wider Gallery team has provided me with an invaluable experience and insight into museum work and curatorial practice.”
The one-year, full-time internship program provides students an opportunity to learn about aspects of museum and gallery management, arts education and collections care. Twenty-five young Caymanians have benefitted from the programme to date.
Another graduate of the annual intern programme is Gianna Whittaker, who has been working with the Gallery’s Education Department.
She has developed the supporting exhibition programme, which includes teen workshops, specialized tours and family fun sessions.
Whittaker noted, “the past year has provided me with extensive experience working across the wide scope of education and outreach programming at the Gallery, both onsite and through our district classes like Art on the Road. The experience has cemented my interest in becoming an educator and I am grateful to my colleagues in Education and the wider Gallery team for their support.”
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