Documentary Pays Tribute To Bahamian Artists

In an effort to bring Bahamian films to Grand Bahama, and in support of the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation, the documentary film "Artists of the Bahamas" was screened at the Regency Theatre on the weekend.

The documentary, which was well received at the 2008 Bahamas International Film Festival in December, features 11 key visual artists whose talents contributed to the initial art movement in the Bahamas.

Those artists being Amos Ferguson, Kendal Hanna, Maxwell Taylor, Brent Malone, Dave Smith, Eddie Minnis, Stan Burnside, Jackson Burnside, Antonius Roberts, John Beadle, ane John Cox.

The film's introduction features famed Bahamian actor Sir Sidney Poitier.

Funds

Proceeds from the show will go toward the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation, a non-profit foundation set up to raise funds for the future Heritage Museum Gallery.

The Foundation is presently supporting the Freetown Project, a programme which is bringing art and history together in a unique way to tell the story of Freetown and its inhabitants.

This programme and others like it will be funded by the Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation to reflect the stories of the island's many settlements.

Completed works of art will hang permanently in the Heritage Museum Gallery.

"The Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation is excited to bring. this wonderful film to Grand Bahama. It is an opportunity to celebrate the best of Bahamian talent, our audience will be inspired by the breadth, talent, and originality of these fine artists as they listen to their personal stories," said Grand Bahama Heritage Foundation cofounders Chantal Bethel and Laurie Tuchel.

"Everyone should make time in their schedules to attend this screening. "Viewers had the opportunity to meet the filmmakers, Karen Arthur and Thomas Neuwirth at a reception following the film.

Ms Arthur and Mt Neuwirth are American filmmakers who have made the Bahamas one of their homes.

Their 25 years of collaborative filmmaking has brought them much recognition and many awards, including four Emmys.

Actors

They have worked with actors such as Angelina Jolie, Kevin Spacey, Kirk Douglas, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Plummer, Vanessa Redgrave and many others. Both Ms Arthur and Mr Neuwirth have always been drawn to biographies and true stories, and together formed Island Films Ltd for the purpose of making documentary features. They are married and live in New York City, Vermont and Nassau, Bahamas.

In the filmmakers desire to give something back to the country they so enjoy, and to uncover who the Bahamian art masters were, they visited with the two premiere collectors of Bahamian art, Dawn Davies and Vincent D'Aguilar, last year.

It was Mr Davies and Mr D'Aguilar who suggested who they felt where the top artists in the country.

"After viewing both the D'Aguilar and Davies collections we knew we had the best of the best. We filmed each artist in either their homes or studios and they have graciously shared their stories and works of art. We wanted to know where Bahamian art came from, and now the film tells a story for all to enjoy," said the filmmakers.

Source: The Tribune,
January 15, 2009

View the trailer...