PRESS RELEASE

DiaSpora Now

80 St. Nicholas Place, Ste.1B

New York, NY 10032

Tel: 212-491-4652

Fax 212-283-9371

www.diaspora-now.com

Press Release

Contact: Anderson Pilgrim

Tel: (646) 267-8831 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9 A.M. EDT, February 1, 2011

Leading Haitian Art Historian to Curate Tribute Exhibit of Haitian Art at Caribbean Fine Art Fair - Barbados, from March 31- April 3, 2011.

New York, NY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011: For the first time in the English speaking Caribbean over forty-five exhibitors of paintings, sculpture, photography, drawings and original limited edition prints, exploring the cultural traditions of the Caribbean will be on view at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Barbados, from March 31- April 3, 2011. A special aspect of the inaugural CaFA Fair Barbados is a tribute to the Haitian art movement. The tribute will take the form of a special exhibit of Haitian art and a benefit concert on March 30, 2011, proceeds from which will benefit Haitian artists impacted by last year’s devastating earthquake.

One of Haiti’s greatest treasures is its pool of talented artists and the works they have created.

January 2010, saw a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the country, and while it lasted less than 20 seconds the impact was devastating. One of the causalities was Haiti's culture. Thousands of paintings and sculptures housed in museums, galleries, homes of collectors, cathedrals and artist studios were destroyed or badly damaged. CaFA Fair Barbados is presenting this special exhibit to pay tribute to the rich visual art heritage of Haiti and to help it recover from the effects of the earthquake.

Axelle Liautaud, an art historian working in the preservation of Haitian culture for the past 40 years will curate the exhibition of works by contemporary Haitian artists at CaFA Fair Barbados 2011. Ms. Liautaud, who is a board member of the Centre d'Art, a 66 year non-profit gallery and school that provided the catalyst for the Haitian Art movement, has been instrumental in rescuing collections from the rubble and for their restoration. She has been feverishly working to arrange fundraising activities and in planning the reconstruction of the venerable Centre d’Art.

Among the works in the Haitian Art exhibit to be showcased at CaFA Fair is a selection of pieces by renowned Haitian sculptor Georges Liautaud, who is included in the collections of various museums around the world, as well as works of art by the most prominent contemporary sculptors like Lionel St-Eloi, Nasson, Guyodo and Serge Jolimeau. Old masters represented by the works of Wilson Bigaud, Andre Pierre, and Luce Turnier will also be present, as will works by the St-Soliel group including Dieuseul Paul, Denis Smith, contemporary works on canvas by Burton Chenet, Arijac and others.

Numerous artists have suffered death and destruction in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. However as they have done through so many other disasters, catastrophes and obstacles, Haiti's artists have continued to create powerful works of art. CaFA Fair Barbados 2011 will provide an opportunity for the world to see a wide cross section of this work and create a venue in which collectors can acquire these works.

Caribbean Fine Art Fair will grace the halls of the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Barbados until April 3, 2011. CaFA Fair opens Thursday March 31st, 2011, with a Charity Gala to benefit Haitian artists affected by the January 2010 earthquake and representatives from FOSAJ, Fondation Sant D’A Jakmel will be in attendance. In addition to the impressive collection of Haitian art, works by internationally recognized contemporary artists such as Ras Akyem I Ramsay, Barbados; Leandro Soto, Cuba; Dudley Charles, Guyana; Michael Escoffery, Jamaica; Carlos Santiago, Puerto Rico; Glen Martin, Trinidad & Tobago; and many others from the English-speaking, Hispanic and Francophone Caribbean will be on view.

Event partners include ArtSplash; Accra Beach Hotel & Spa; Coconut Court Hotel; Intimate Hotels of Barbados; Barbados Tourism Authority; Caribbean Broadcasting Corp; Laparkan Shipping; Barbados National Cultural Foundation; and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

For additional information please visit www.cafafair.com or call 646-267-8831.

-End-

CAFA FAIR ON FACEBOOK

SIGN IN

SPONSORS OF CAFAFAIR

Intimate Hotels of Barbados - www.intimatehotelsbarbados.com

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

www.visitbarbados.org

Laparkan Shipping - www.laparkan.com

http://ncf.bb/

The COT Media Group (www.cot.com.bb);

CaFA FAIR EVENTS

CARIBBEAN FINE ART FAIR

March 7 – 11, 2012, 11am – 8pm each day

The Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center

Bridgetown, Barbados

PRESS PREVIEW (3-5pm) & GALA OPENING (6-9pm)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael

Featuring a performance by T&T’s David Boothman & Friends

Open bar & hors d’oeuvres

The “Caribbean Luminary of Arts Award” will be presented.

Admission: BDS$100 all inclusive*

(*all inclusive ticket will allow entrance to all CaFA Fair Barbados events including Symposium.)

Thursday, March 8: featuring a performance by “Doodle to the Beat” artist Barbara Russell

Friday & Sunday, March 9th & 11th: performances by Artist/Poet Nala and Reggae artist Lady Virtue

Saturday, March 10:

INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CONFERENCE

(running concurrently with other scheduled events)

SEE MORE INFO HERE:

http://www.caribvoiceradio.org/cvrwomensconference2012.html

CARIBBEAN ART SYMPOSIUM

Saturday, March 10, 2012 (10am – 5pm)

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael

Caribbean Art: Exploring 0ur Relationship with Latin America

Panelists will examine the growth of Latin American art; the correlation with increased interest and scholarship in Caribbean art; and the avenues for increased recognition of Caribbean art within our region and beyond. (10am - 12pm)

Featuring Tatiana Flores (Venezuela/USA): an art historian, critic, and independent curator, specializing in modern and contemporary Latin American Art. She is currently a professor in Latino and Caribbean studies at Rutgers University, NJ. Carl E. Hazlewood (Guyana): an internationally recognized artist/curator and co founder of Aljira Contemporary Center for The Arts, NJ. Ademola Olugebefola (US Virgin Islands): Dr Olugebefola has lectured and participated in forums at leading Universities, Museums and Cultural Institutions in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. His art is represented in numerous institutional and private collections. Arlington Weithers (Guyana): is an award winning artist whose work has been exhibited widely in the USA and is represented in many private and museum collections.

Caribbean Art in Regional Collections: Public & Private

Panelists will present highlights from Caribbean and Regional art collections, both public and private, which feature the works of Caribbean artists and explore challenges faced by artists in joining major collections (12.30pm - 2.30pm)

Presentations by Minerva Diaz (Puerto Rico/USA): her artwork is in the collections of several institutions, and was presented to President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony by a group of the Tuskeegee airmen. Elissa Fernandez (Embassy of Venezuela): highlights from various modern and contemporary museum collections in Venezuela.

Developing the Region’s Cultural Industries: Focus on the Visual Arts

Panelists will discuss the uneven development of the visual arts across the region as an industry and the steps needed to convert this sector into a substantial contributor to economic growth. (3pm - 5pm)

Presentations by Loris Crawford (Jamaica): Gallerist, curator, economics professor, and founder of Art Off The Main Art Fair, NYC; Andrea King (Barbados): special consultant with the Barbados Ministry of Culture; Dr. Basil Springer (Barbados): author, business consultant, and founder of the Entrepreneurial Network in Barbados.

Admission: BDS$100 all inclusive*

(*all inclusive ticket will allow entrance to all CaFA Fair Barbados events including Symposium.)

Art Fair Admission: BDS$15 daily

Symposium: BDS$20

Free admission to Caribbean Fine Art Fair & Caribbean Art Symposium for all students with ID & children 16 years and under.

Event & Ticket Info: www.cafafair.com Tel: 246 822-2871

Contact Us – E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: 646 267-8831

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE at the following box offices:

http://caribbeaneventshub.com/boxoffice/tickets/caribbean-fine-arts-fair-7-11-march-2012/