Works of the late Dr Boxer finds new home at the National Gallery Loop Jamaica
Black Immigrant Daily News
Over 30 pieces of art from the collection of late Jamaican artist, Dr David Boxer, were handed over to the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) recently.
Dr Boxer, a leading art scholar in the Caribbean, served the National Gallery for some 37 years and was director and chief curator from 1991 to 2013.
The collection, including sculptures and paintings as well as works of Jamaican artist, John Dunkley, is a gift from the David Boxer Estate through the Onyx Foundation, which was launched by Boxer in 2016.
Some of the artworks will be installed in Jamaica’s new Houses of Parliament building, as part of the development of National Heroes Park.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, accepted the donation during a ceremony held at the NGJ, downtown Kingston.
Following the presentation, the Prime Minister, accompanied by Minister Grange; NGJ Board Chairman Thomas Tavares-Finson, and Senior Director Roxanne Silent; executors of Boxer’s estate, and members of the private sector and business community viewed the exhibition – ‘Kingston Biennial 2022: Pressure’.
The biennial exhibition, which features local and diaspora artists, forms part of the Jamaica 60 Diamond Jubilee and is a celebration of the country’s idiom, ‘Pressure’, and the positive and negative ways in which it has shaped the Jamaican society.
Mr Holness, who expressed appreciation for the gift, said that it will form part of the collection of the new Houses of Parliament which, he noted, will not just be a building, but a monument to Jamaica.
“A monument to our struggles for freedom, a monument to our independence, a monument to our sovereignty, a monument of our freedom, and the symbolisation of our aspirations for greatness,” he said.
“So, it is important that within that monument, is a collection of our great art which is a symbol of our culture, a symbol of the civilisation that we are trying to build, and a symbol of our dignity,” Mr Holness added.
In her remarks, Minister Grange said Dr Boxer’s work at the NGJ resulted in the enhancement of Jamaican art throughout his 37 years at the institution.
“Under his curatorship, the National Gallery of Jamaica grew to become one of our country’s most celebrated post-Independent institutions,” she added.
Ms Grange said Dr Boxer also created many globally acclaimed exhibitions with world-renowned artists and sculptures “befitting the type of gallery that Jamaica deserves.”
NewsAmericasNow.com
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