Six Bermuda public art works to savour

Public art refers to works of art in any medium that has been planned with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain. Typically outside and available to everyone, public art does not discriminate against its audience and helps to create new shared experiences, can represent cultural identity, and potentially improve the surrounding environment. 

In this article we will briefly explore a few public art works in Bermuda, and hope that you decide to stop and enjoy them. 

1. ‘Sir George Somers’:
Ordinance Island, St George’s:

Unveiled in 1984 by Bermudian Sculptor Desmond Fountain, this statue pays homage to the Captain of the Sea Venture, the vessel shipwrecked in Bermuda in 1609 en route to Jamestown, Virginia. 

Sir George is credited as the founder of Britain’s oldest colony, and the City of St George’s is named after him. Interesting fact: The owner of a popular South Shore supermarket, Mr Anthony Aguiar, was the model for this bronze bust.  

2. Custom-made wooden seating areas, Water Street, St George’s:

Several unique seating areas created using reclaimed materials are located near ‘The Island Shop’ in St George’s. While these quaint chairs may not be considered public art by some, they certainly differ significantly from most public seating areas in Bermuda and complement the ‘Old Towne’ quite nicely. Head to Water Street to enjoy these for yourself; they cannot be found anywhere else in Bermuda. 

3. ‘Homage to Picasso’s Three Musicians’: Chancery Lane, City of Hamilton:

Painted over the 2006 Cup Match holiday by Sue and her daughter Shelly Pearson, this mural is one of the few staged in Hamilton. Located opposite the ‘Common Ground Café’, it is impossible to ignore this art piece while enjoying your morning coffee. Fun fact: ‘Three Musicians’ is actually the title of two similar original Picasso paintings. One version is currently in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the other in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Both paintings were completed in 1921 in Fontainebleau near Paris, France. 

4. ‘Bermuda’s 400th Anniversary’: Somersfield Academy, Devonshire,
Bermuda:

This 10x12 ft. mosaic mural is one of those creations that simply must be seen up close to fully appreciate. Designed by Ms Kendra
LaVonne Earls and Mr Jonathan Trott, this public art piece was commissioned by Somersfield Academy in 2009 to celebrate Bermuda’s 400th anniversary. Students, staff, and family members all participated in helping to place tiles, and artist Ms Earls believes this communal approach made her enjoy this project that much more. 

5. ‘More Pink Bda’
Umbrellas: Washington Lane, City of Hamilton:

The most recent public art installation on this list is part of the Bermuda Department of Tourism’s ‘More Pink Bda’ campaign. Originally made famous by the city of Agueda, Portugal, this urban art installation stages dozens of pink umbrellas above a popular pedestrian walkway. Considering how nascent the ‘More Pink Bda’ campaign is, we are excited about the prospect of additional
contemporary public art works in the near future. 

6. ‘The Chewstick Peace Mural’: Court and Elliott Street, Hamilton:

The 12x30 ft mural (published in the last Bda Sun Public Arts article) was entirely completed using donated supplies and volunteer hours. Prior to the mural being completed, the Chewstick Foundation (www.chewstick.org) also commissioned the painting of four public benches on its property; each bench allocated to a local charity for the purpose of visually illustrating their mission statement. 

The impact of these public murals on the surrounding environment is difficult to measure; however one hopes that nearby buildings follow suit in order to add more vibrancy and character to North East Hamilton.

Tiago Garcia lobbies for local public art and building-exterior enhancement projects.