FOR OVER two decades, Castellani House (The National Art Gallery), located at the corner of Vlissengen Road and Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown, has been the place to go for those who want to see the finest works of Guyanese art.

Normally, we see the works of talented students; this time, however, the ongoing exhibition is shining the spotlight on the people who help to shape Guyana’s best artists. The exhibition is showing off the work of the tutors of the E.R. Burrowes School of Art, most of whom are past students of the school and come from a tradition of bonding, said Acting Curator of Castellani House, Mr. Ohene Koama.

In those testing days of financial constraints, even a meal seemed impossible to many, but a solution by way of a “bush cook” saw many smiling faces. The sculptors led the way in the cooking, since a mistaken chip of wood in the pot was more tolerable than a lump of paint or even clay. This act of bonding strengthened the barriers against any likely ethnic, class or economic discrimination that might have impeded unity.

These tutors are living testimony of survival against those social, political, and economic constraints that constantly presented themselves.

Continuing in the tradition of unselfish gains, the tutors are seen mentoring and nurturing, in formal ways, those who have come with a willingness to learn the requisite skills that would inevitably determine their future in the visual arts.

Bestowed with the responsibility of imparting knowledge to students in the various disciplines, the tutors are seen as the vanguard of the institution. The tutors whose works are on display are Administrator Ivor Thom (Drawing, Sculpture), Director of Studies Jynelle Osborne (Painting), Everley Austin (Ceramic Art), Robert Cumming (Textile Construction), Vandyke David (Ceramics), Sheena Henry (Children Classes Vocation Workshop), Dawn Isaacs (Ceramic Art), Nicole Bisoo-Williams (Colour Theory and General Studies), Genghis Khan (Painting and Drawing), Josefa Tamaya (Three Dimensional Foundation Course and Sculpture), Dahlia Peters (Ceramics), Volda Russell-Ramsammy (Textile Design and Basic Design), Joseph Saunders (Computer Graphic Art) and Sean Thomas (Graphic Art).

History
The E.R. Burrowes School of Art was founded in 1975 by the late Director of Culture, Dr. Denis Williams, an Artist, Art Educator, Pioneer Archaeologist and Anthropologist. The institution was, from the onset, modelled on the British curriculum of formal Art training. Founded after Guyana became independent in 1966 and a Republic in 1970, and also after the groundbreaking Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) that was held in Guyana in 1972, the school was a timely addition to the cultural life of a young nation.

Its predecessor is the Working Peoples Art Class (WPAC), which was formed by Barbadian ‘Father of Guyanese Art’, E.R. Burrowes, in 1948. Dennis Williams was a member of the WPAC. On returning from his Art Scholarship to Britain, he felt compelled to continue the tradition of art groupings, which he knew best, resulting in him forming an art institution and naming it after his teacher and mentor, E.R. Burrowes.

The school survived many trying times during its 39-year existence, moving from the village of Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara to Sophia, east of Georgetown; and then to Carifesta Avenue, where it presently sits.

The Castellani House was named in 1993 after its architect, Cesar Castellani, when the inaugural collection of the Art Gallery was first shown. The original building was constructed during the period 1879 to 1882, and was the residence of the Government Botanist George Jenman, beginning in 1883.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, and later as President of Guyana, former President Mr L.F.S. Burnham resided there from 1965 until his death in 1985. The Castellani House is the home of the National Art Collection.

The exhibition will continue until May 3, 2014.

(By Michelle Gonsalves)