Gig carving workshop at the National Gallery
Cayman Net News
A blend of old and new artistic works bridges the gap between Cayman’s past traditions and modem aesthetics in the current exhibition at the National Gallery, “21st Century Cayman,” sponsored by Butterfield Bank.
Expanding on that theme is a gig-carving workshop on Saturday, 24 April from 11am to 4pm that will make Cayman’s traditional crafts more accessible and interesting to today’s youth, say organizers.
The workshop will be led Deal Ebanks, artisan and member of the Cayman Islands Traditional Arts Council, who has ~een creating gigs and traditional game pieces professionally for six years.
“I received my first pocket knife at seven years old,” he says, “and began creating my own toys ever since.”
Ebanks will demonstrate and teach the skills of choosing, cutting, carving and smoothing wood in order to make a gig. Each participant will take home his or her own gig and will have
the opportunity to decorate and spin the gigs as well.
“I grew up in a time where we had to create our own entertainment,” he adds, “and I’d like to share these skills with others and especially with the younger generation.”
He saw a need to create, not only for entertainment purposes but to pass on a long-time tradition to his children. “After Hurricane Ivan, I began carving gigs more and more because when the electricity was off, I enjoyed sharing and playing with my children,” he says. “With no TV or video games, they needed something to occupy them.”
Mr Ebanks wants to get young people involved and hopes to have many participants attend.
“I’m not a TV-watching kind of guy and was 14 before I even touched a television set,” he says. “We’ve lost the connection to our past in this electronic age and our children are the ‘electronic generation’. I want to see them enjoy the simple things in life, so I hope that parents will bring their kids out to the workshop.”
The workshop is open to anyone age 13 and up and will be held at Miss Lassie’s Duplex off South Sound Road. The cost to register is CI$25.00 and all materials are included.