The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) has been working with the Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture, and Housing (Ministry) recently on a three-part COVID-19 Artists Relief Programme, developed in response to an island-wide needs-based survey for artists and creative entrepreneurs in early summer. The initial survey, which was taken by 98 local artists during lockdown, illustrated that the creative community has been hard hit by the pandemic. Respondents included a diverse range of persons from the artistic and creative community including visual artists, traditional craftspersons, musicians, arts educators, authors and videographers. Due to a heavy reliance on the tourism sector for sales, many had lost 100% of their revenue. Feedback from the survey included requests for financial support, as well as training and skills development such as marketing, optimizing social media platforms, as well as financial advice in preparation for the aftermath of the pandemic.
Part one of the project saw eighteen local artists each receive a CI$1,000 grant towards lost sales income. Grants were funded through a partnership between the Ministry and several private donors including The Pearinder Foundation, Clive and Basia Harris, Beverley and Tom Simpson, the Berksoy family, the Galloway family, the Lindsey family, and the Urquhart family. Grants were distributed to qualifying Caymanian artists and artisans whose artwork was their primary income and who were experiencing the need for emergency support. In addition to the Artist’s Grants, the Ministry also directly funded a series of acquisitions from Caymanian artists for the Cayman Islands National Art Collection, to help elevate revenue loss. These new acquisitions continue to strengthen the National Art Collection in key areas: expanding the presence of both traditional crafts and contemporary work by both well-known and emerging artists. Programme participants included: Marlena Anglin, John Broad, Randy Chollette Rosemary Ebanks, Bendel Hydes, John Reno Jackson, Charles Long, Lizzie Powell, Miguel Powery, Brandon Saunders, and Gordon Solomon.
With the grants distributed, NGCI turned its full attention to supporting artists through training and career development opportunities. This Business of Art series, initially launched in 2017, was restarted in July and has to date covered topics such as marketing, branding, social media, websites, sales and negotiation. It is designed to enable artists to expand their business skills, digital presence and to grow their audiences. The free webinar series will continue through November on a bi-monthly basis with upcoming sessions on business management skills and Intellectual Property. All future sessions can be found via What’s On and recordings of previous sessions are also available via the NGCI blog.
“The impact of COVID-19 on local artists and creative businesses has highlighted the importance of a professional infrastructure and support framework for the arts community in times such as these, as outlined in the National Cultural and Heritage Policy,” says Hon. Dwayne S. Seymour, Minister for Health, Environment, Culture and Housing. “Our artists are our storytellers, recording the achievements, as well as the trials we face as a community and it critical that we continue to ensure the continuity of the arts in these unprecedented times. My Ministry is committed to supporting artists and we are proud to work with the National Gallery on this responsive programme.”
