Tag: IBB

FRESH MILK IX – Thursday November 29th at 7:00 pm

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Kick-start your Independence weekend this Thursday by joining us at the Milking Parlour Studio forFRESH MILK IX, where we welcome the team from the IBB in Curaçao, consisting of co-foundersDavid Bade and Tirzo Martha, visiting Dutch artist Erik Habets, and three IBB students to the platform with a full night of showcasing talent.

Hustle de Money
7:30 pm

Our current artist in residence Alberta Whittle will perform ‘Hustle de Money –  a Performance by Bertie aka Big Red aka General outta Glitter Zone’ which explores the social construction of identity as defined through race, gender and sexuality.

Click on the image above to visit Alberta’s blog.

Presentation by the IBB Team
8:00 – 9:00 pm

The IBB Team will give a presentation, introcucing the organization, speaking about its role in Curaçao and by extension Caribbean society, as well as students Dominic Schmetz, Kristel Rigaud and Rashid Pieter speaking about their own practices. Visit the IBB website for more information.

FRESH Art Exhibition and Sale

Exhibited all night in the Studio, we have the work of young artists Alicia Alleyne, Evan Avery, Tracey Chan, Shanika Grimes, Versia Harris, Katherine Kennedy and Rodell Warner on sale.

With Independence Day and the Christmas season right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to celebrate local and regional talent by buying some unique artwork – whether it’s for yourself or someone else, this sale is thegift that keeps on giving, as you contribute to our culture and community by supporting upcoming artists.

FRESH MILK Welcomes the IBB Team

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Fresh Milk welcomes the team from the Instituto Buena Bista (IBB) to Barbados this week, commencing the second part of our collaborative Satellite Project.

On Monday, IBB co-founders David Bade and Tirzo Martha, Dutch artist Erik Habets and IBB students Kristel Rigaud, Rashid Pieter and Dominic Schmetz visited the Barbados Community College (BCC), where they met with the 2nd and 3rd year students of the BFA Programme to view and discuss their work. They then travelled to the Milking Parlour Studio to conduct studio visits with young emerging artists Alicia Alleyne and Evan Avery.

Remember this Thursday night, November 29th the IBB will be giving a presentation at FRESH MILK IX, which also features a performance by Alberta Whittle, and an exhibition and sale – featuring the work of Alicia, Evan and other artists who have been on the platform. Not only can you buy a unique gift at the art sale, but you give back to the community by supporting these local and regional artists.

FRESH MILK at the IBB: Blog Post IV

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It’s been a week since I returned to Barbados – sorry this is late, but it just shows how busy and productive things have been at Fresh Milk, while we got everything in order for the arrival of the IBB team to Barbados, and preparations for FRESH MILK IX, which will be held Thursday, November 29th at 7pm. Never a dull moment!

Overall, the interactive Ustream project Creatives in Conversation which rounded off my set of interviews in Curacao was definitely a success. There were a few technical difficulties, but all the quirks such as jokes, impromptu karaoke sessions, IT technician Omar Kuwas having to usurp me as the interviewer when he possessed the sole laptop with an internet connection, and general good natured fun made it endearing, alongside the serious and very pertinent issues David Bade and Tirzo Martha brought up about the contemporary arts in Curacao and around the region. And of course, what I found to be the greatest aspect of the project was the response we got from our viewers. NLS in Jamaica hosted an event in a local bar to screen the interview, Ateliers ’89 in Aruba also tuned in, Fresh Milk was represented, and artists and interested persons from around the region and beyond (including responses from St. Vincent, the Netherlands etc.) all took part and sent in their questions.

The interest in the project, and David and Tirzo’s passionate answers show that there is a need for this inter-regional and international communication in the arts, and that the time is ripe for this interaction to take place. As Tirzo said, stop the circular conferences and stagnant symposiums – this is our chance to take collective action and find ways to really focus on and tackle the issues we have in the Caribbean together, as the ones actually affected by legislation passed from people who do not understand the situation. Creatives in Conversation showed that despite the difficulties in inter-regional travel, we can find alternate methods to at least make a start, and I think it could be a good idea for the informal art institutions (Fresh Milk, IBB, NLS, Ateliers ’89, Alice Yard, Popopstudios, Tembe Art Studio etc.) to schedule these streamed events on a regular basis, held in a different country each time, so we remain informed about what we do and circulate our own ideas on how we can strengthen the Caribbean art scene.

If you missed the interview live, you can still view it online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ibb-live

That weekend, we took some down time and Holly, Erik, Marijn, David, Willy and I visited a turtle watching point, had lunch in a local restaurant and visited a couple of beaches on the Saturday. On Sunday we went adventuring to the East of the island, eventually settling on Caracas Bay, a rock and pebble beach with stunningly clear water. This was also next to Fort Beekenberg, which you could climb to the top of for gorgeous views over the island.

I already miss the students and staff at the IBB, my housemates Holly Bynoe, Erik and Marijn Habets, and our dogs Bruno and Tequila. I am very grateful to everyone who contributed to my time in Curacao. I have high hopes and expectations for the outcome of this residency, with the interviews which will be released in the coming weeks introducing a wider public to the Curacao arts, and the interactive platform that we would love to continue building to set the stage for an enhanced level of understanding and collaboration. We’re already well on our way, as Fresh Milk welcomed Tirzo, David, Erik and IBB students Dominic Schmetz, Kristel Rigaud and Rashid Pieter to Barbados this past Sunday. Looking forward to this week with them, and everything our partnership with the IBB will accomplish!

Katherine Kennedy

 

FRESH MILK at the IBB: Blog Post III

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After a visit to the beach on Sunday, I was refreshed and ready to get back to the interview project Monday, where Tamika, Fabian, Rashid and I visited Gallery Alma Blou to speak with the curator there, Lusette Verboom. The Gallery started off as a small souvenir and gift store, and it has since grown and developed into an art gallery and local craft shop located in Landhuis Habaai. It was a pleasure to speak to Lusette, who is not only passionate about supporting the arts, but about making them accessible to the public. Interestingly, while a few of the others I have spoken with noted some resistance from the public in engaging with and valuing contemporary art, Lusette mentions that the gallery has sometimes received a negative response from artists themselves, who oppose her choice to have a craft and souvenir shop alongside the gallery. They feel that it lowers the tone in some way, but Lusette disagrees; apart from the point of sustainability and having a means for the gallery to earn revenue through the interest in the gift shop, she also believes that there should be a measure of respect for the skills of local crafts-persons from fine artists, and that the commercial goods also act as a way to broaden the patronage of the gallery.

Before conducting my next two interviews, Holly and I decided to have an evening out…it didn’t quite go as planned, due to some confusing Google maps and a sold out film at the cinema, but we did get the chance to take a walk through Willemstad. Crossing the Queen Emma Bridge – which floats on the water, supported by sixteen pontoon boats – connecting the Otrobanda and Punda sides of the town, we had stunning views of the city by night. The music and open air cafe we passed created a great atmosphere for a stroll through Punda, and it was nice to see the area in a different light.

The final two interviews before our interactive Ustream project, were with Tirzo Martha and David Bade, artists and co-founders of the IBB. Preceding the live stream which featured both of them together, I spoke with them separately in their respective studio spaces about their work and the inception of the IBB. Tirzo currently has a studio on site at the IBB, while David has an area set up for his painting at home. I asked both of them about the impact of teaching and running the IBB on their personal practices, and both see it as more of a help than hindrance; Tirzo said having his space on site helps to inspire the students, setting an example for work ethic and creativity, and David views the IBB itself as a piece of art. They are using it as a catalyst for social change – a theme heavily embedded in both of their general concepts. Rather than focusing on projects or exhibitions which have a starting and ending point, the IBB is an ongoing piece, which continuously gives back to the community, both with the students that pass through the gates and the interaction with the patients at Capriles Clinic. This sets the scene for a new generation of artists, and nurtures a new way of thinking.

My final post will be on its way this week, where I’ll recap the regional Ustream broadcast Creatives in Conversation, and assess my trip on the whole. I think what Fresh Milk and the IBB have begun here,  and the topics we have touched regarding communication and Caribbean ties are the start of something very important, and that we are on the way to building a critical and game changing path for the regional art scene. More on this later!

Katherine Kennedy