National Gallery of Jamaica’s ‘One Nation, New Symbols,’ Exhibition Opens Sunday
By: , September 23, 2025
Photo: Mark Bell
Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), Monique Barnett-Davidson (centre), and Acting Senior Director at NGJ, Nadine Boothe-Gooden (fifth right), join participating artists for a photo opportunity during the press launch of the One Nation, New Symbols exhibition, held at the Gallery in downtown Kingston on Monday (September 22).
Photo: Mark Bell
Acting Senior Director at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), Nadine Boothe-Gooden (left), engages in discussion with (from second left) Marketing Assistant at Häagen-Dazs, Ann-Jean Lennox; Brand Manager, Ashley Chambers-Hill; NGJ Assistant Curator, Shawna-Lee Tai; and NGJ Senior Curator, Monique Barnett-Davidson, while viewing an art piece during the press launch of the 'One Nation, New Symbols' exhibition at the Gallery in downtown Kingston on Monday (September 22).The Full Story
Members of the public are invited to view the National Gallery of Jamaica’s (NGJ) latest exhibition: ‘One Nation, New Symbols,’ which opens on Sunday (September 28).
Featuring the work of 46 artists and 55 works of art curated from an open call process, the exhibition presents a contemporary response to the signs, imagery and meanings that have shaped Jamaican life.
It will provide the opportunity for persons to engage with fresh perspectives on Jamaican identity and culture through art.
Speaking with JIS News following Monday’s (September 22) press launch at the Gallery’s downtown Kingston location, Senior Curator, Monique Barnett-Davidson, said that the open call process “is one of our most inclusive exhibition formats.”
“It’s the only one that we have where we put out a public call for artists at various levels, whether they are professionals, amateurs, regardless of the art form or art genre. We invite them to come and to have a chance to exhibit at the gallery,” she noted.
She informed that about 166 applications were received from which the 55 art pieces were selected for display.
“We have paintings, sculpture, installation projects…There are also audiovisual projects, fiber and textile works, mixed media works, and several other forms,” she pointed out.
The Senior Curator explained that the theme: ‘One Nation, New Symbols’, emerged from the belief that cultural representations should evolve as society changes.
“If we are changing, then what about the symbols that we use to represent ourselves? Wouldn’t those be changing too? And that’s kind of the basis of the concept of the exhibition,” she contended.
She added that the exhibition seeks to reimagine national symbolism through contemporary art while encouraging critical reflection and public engagement.
“Symbols are not static, and the National Gallery of Jamaica, as part of our engagement with contemporary art, we have to demonstrate that revolution time and time again,” she told JIS News.
Mrs. Barnett-Davidson further highlighted the importance of giving visual artists a voice in national conversations.
“When you listen to the political discourses and things on the radio, on the TV… you hear the sociologists, the economists, the politicians, but we don’t often hear the visual artists. I’m hoping that the open call can become a model for change, where we provide a platform and a space where artists can lend their voices,” she stated.
The ‘One Nation, New Symbols’ exhibition will run until March 29, 2026, with viewing hours from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Fridays to Sundays. The exhibition is closed on Mondays.
Admission is free on Sundays, while on the other days, the entry costs is $400 for adults, $200 for senior citizens, and is free for children and students with identification (ID).