‘We want to Make Art Accessible to all our Citizens’ says Minister Grange

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, through its agency, the National Gallery of Jamaica, will be moving to implement strategic programmes to encourage and facilitate the development of art to improve the quality of life for all Jamaicans.

In a presentation delivered by Senator Tom Tavares-Finson, Chairman of the National Gallery of Jamaica, at the opening of Li Shaowen’s ‘Conveying the Heart’ exhibition on Thursday, September 15th, the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, emphasised that “the value of art goes way beyond the economic as, it also provides opportunities for human development and wealth creation.”

According to Minister Grange, “We want to make art accessible to all our citizens – not just the privileged few.  We want to find ways to increase visitorship to the National Gallery and other galleries across Jamaica.  We want to see more investment in art education at all levels.”Minister Grange said the Government remains committed to finding ways to maximise on the social and economic potential of the cultural and creative industries.

Minister Grange gave a warm welcome to the artist, Professor Li Shaowen from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China and congratulated him on his artistic achievements over the years, highlighting that his works continue to inspire, excite and beautify.

The ‘Conveying the Heart’ exhibition is being hosted by the Confucius Institute and will run from September 15 – 24, 2016 at the Olympia Gallery.