Fourth Charman Prize casts a 'fresh eye' on Bermuda life

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: Bermuda’s falling fortunes, the sorry state of the world’s oceans and how the hog penny forms a link between the island’s past and present are among the  artistic themes in this year’s Charman Prize.

There are more than 80 entries into this year’s arts prize which includes photography, painting, sculpture, video, craft and mixed media.

All of the entries carry the theme of “Bermuda inspirations — artwork inspired by Bermuda that, through the artist vision, we can see Bermuda with a fresh eye.”

The fourth annual prize opens at Masterworks tonight from 5:30pm to 8pm with the awards ceremony starting at 6:30pm. Some of the work offers a social commentary on the serious issues facing the island while others aim to highlight the island’s beauty.

Graham Foster, the artist who created the historical mural in the Commissioners’ House at Dockyard, has included a piece titled Return to the Rainbow Country (pictured right).

He said: “The Rainbow wheel represents Bermuda’s ‘wheel of fortune’ once powering us through happier times, now rusted and seizing up, but not beyond repair.

“Are dark days ahead or can Bermuda forge a path towards a brighter future?”

April Branco, an artist who recently opened her own “barefoot” gallery in Washington Mall, included a picture of a black woman (pictured far left).  Ms Branco wrote a passage to accompany her piece saying: “Out of the darkness I rise, Strong and Proud, Past knitted and twisted as the hair upon my head, But with eyes clear and shining, I face the future...Ready.”

Vaughan Evans’ piece King Neptune’s SOS (pictured bottom left) depicted the sea God made entirely out of trash found in the ocean while Gretchen Gurr’s Penny (pictured below) highlights how the hog penny links our past and present.

The show will be on display in the Butterfield Family Gallery until December 3rd. The Museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is $5 or free for members.