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Sangster airport gets art lift

October 25, 2010

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An art mural measuring 72 feet by 8 feet and titled, ‘Amongst the Living’ was unveiled at the Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Wednesday (October 20) by Artist Fiona Godfrey and officials of the Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).
The large painting, described as a significant representation of Jamaican life and culture, was installed on a wall visible from the Arrivals Ramp at the entrance to Immigration Hall. It was designed and intended for a warm Jamaican welcome to the over 1.5 million annual visitors to the island.

The mural entitled, ‘Amongst the living’ created by Irish/Jamaican Artist Fiona Godfrey is unveiled in the Immigration Hall at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. The commissioned artwork is the largest project to be established at the airport and would welcome the over 1.5 million arriving international passengers to the island each year. It was officially unveiled in a ceremony at the airport last week.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, in a message read by St. James Parish Councillor Mexine Bisasor, said that it was “a moment of celebration” to unveil another artistic commission at the airport, as these facilities have become centres of fine arts around the world and it was a matter of pride, that Jamaica is pursuing a similar goal.
“Today, we unveil and celebrate the work of Fiona Godfrey, a native of Ireland who has made Jamaica her home and one who is a renowned artist of figurative paintings with a dreamlike power,” she said.
She added that the impressive work of art, placed above the Immigration gates at the Airport, is intended to capture the ‘essence of Jamaica’ and establish a ‘sense of place”. She also congratulated Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) Airports Limited for having the vision to be an artistic patron, to seek out the best in Jamaican art and display it.
Director of Tourism, John Lynch, congratulated MBJ Airports Limited for their vision in ensuring that, through various expressions of art including “Amongst the Living”, the airport provided the best first and last impressions for visitors to the island.

Irish/Jamaican Artist, Fiona Godfrey (Second Right) points to a section of her art creation ‘Amongst the Living’ during the unveiling ceremony in the Immigration Hall at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. The commissioned artwork is the largest project to be established at the airport and would welcome the over 1.5 million arriving international passengers to the island each year. It was officially unveiled in a ceremony at the airport last week.

He suggested that the piece is perhaps the most significant artwork to be displayed in the airport, and represents a turning point in the endeavour to create that ‘sense of place’.
“The mural is described as ‘a ballad of gratitude, a love song to Jamaica’ and will see both Jamaicans and visitors to the island finding something in the art work to connect with their own experiences, thus making the journey through the airport a more fulfilling one”, Mr. Lynch pointed out.
Fiona Godfrey, an Irish artist, came to Jamaica in 1989 to teach literacy and art at the St. John Bosco Children’s Home for a year. She fell in love with Jamaica and never left. She now works full-time as an artist in Kingston.

Last Updated: August 13, 2013

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