It won’t be long before a number of professional artists will be turned out in Anguilla – thanks to Ani Art Academy which is working with a number of apprentices to that end. The academy, at which the head instructor is Timothy Jahn, held its second consecutive open house over the past weekend.
The Saturday evening (4th January) event attracted a large number of spectators who filled the studio and other public areas to capacity. The milling crowd converged around the mounted charcoal drawings to have a look at the students’ work before it is shipped to Rehs Contemporary Galleries in New York City.
The Ani Art Academy was launched in Anguilla in February 2011 by Mr Tim Reynolds, co-founder of a thriving Wall Street trading firm and a passionate artist. He is in the course of establishing other art academies in various parts of the world.
Anguilla’s Minister of Education, Jerome Roberts, commented on the art exhibition. “I am quite impressed with what I have seen, taking into consideration what I saw about a year ago when a number of students were in the first stage of the work,” he said. “To see their drawings now is indeed commendable not just in terms of the students but the teacher as well. A lot of time, energy and patience obviously went into this final product. What also impresses me is the glow on the faces of the students – and it all adds up well for the development of the art form in Anguilla.
“I believe that taking this work to the United States will bring much publicity to Anguilla. I also commend the developer [Mr Reynolds] because this is one of his ways of giving back to the Anguillian community – and he is a lover of art. I am pleased to see the diversity of people and age groups at the open house.”
Mr Jahn, the head instructor, said the trainees were being called apprentices rather that students. “I like to think of them all as apprentices in transit to becoming artists,” he explained. “The artwork that they do is really outstanding. Some of them have been here just under two years, and others only for the past three months. Our main focus is to allow them enough options for a long-term survivability within their career – so we try to focus on very simple and rudimentary skills that they can apply to multiple dimensions.” He further explained that at the beginning of the curriculum the apprentices are required to finish the black and white drawing programme before going on to the painting programme.
The instructor said the work of the apprentices was being sold over the course of their training apart from the open house exhibitions. “A group of artwork is going up to New York City to be in a show, and we have been finding homes for the work as we have been going forward,” he continued. “That is why I think of them as apprentices, and not students, because we are training them to work towards selling their work. The curriculum takes between three and four years to complete.”
One of the students is Pastor Dexter Welcome of the Dominion Faith Centre. “I started one year ago and I have one of the best teachers I have known – and I feel comfortable working with him – and I have done one piece so far and that is called the Composer. This is my passion. My mother is here and she said to me, ‘I thought when you were growing up you would be an artist’. I am involved in a bit of everything but pastoring is my calling, but being an artist is my passion.”
Shanicia Richardson, a well-known practicing Anguillian artist, exhibited a drawing called “poisoned apples”. Asked to explain, she stated: “It is the theme from Snow White – that’s why you see the apples, the bottles and the books. It is not poisonous for us but [according to legend] if Snow White takes another bite of an apple she will drop dead.”
Among the artwork were two portraits: one of Joan Richardson, Product Development Officer of the Anguilla Tourist Board, and the other of Bankie Banx, Anguilla’s reggae artiste and songwriter. They were drawn by Emily Garlick.
