Artists Show their Work to Potential Buyers

Sixteen of the island’s artists were given the opportunity to showcase their work to potential buyers yesterday (Aug. 31) at an exhibition mounted at the Montego Bay Civic Centre in Sam Sharpe Square.
The one-day exhibition was organized by JAMPRO as part of its ‘Linkages’ programme, through which it tries to increase the competitiveness of local firms and businesses, with emphasis on those providing goods and services to the hotel, manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Maria Myers Hamilton, Business Development Manager at JAMPRO, told JIS News that the exhibition served to highlight the work of local artists.
“What we have here is just local artwork, because from time to time, you find people import artwork from all over the place, from Mexico, from China, from the United States and even Indonesia, and we have the creative people in our midst and nobody knows about them. So what we are doing here today is pooling these people and putting their work on display,” she stated.
She explained that a select group of hoteliers and other investors were invited to view the displays and have one-to-one discussions with the artists and place orders.
Consultant in the Export Development Department at JAMPRO, Claudine Blackwood, told JIS News that the participating artists were all JAMPRO clients drawn from across the island.
Some 30 buyer/clients were invited to view the displays, she said, “particularly those hotels that are in the process of construction, or . starting construction soon”. Some of the clients toured the exhibition, while others had further discussions with the artists.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hamilton told JIS News that exhibitions held so far under the Linkages programme have been successful, with a number of small business operators able to secure large supply contracts.She informed that the next series of exhibitions would target furniture manufacturers, and persons in the agricultural sector.
Small businesses persons wishing to participate in the ongoing exhibitions can do so by registering with JAMPRO’s contact centre.