A Hybrid Art Gallery, Bookstore, Café, Rum & Wine Bar
“Talismans and Archives”
March 2020
Featuring the work of multidisciplinary artist Kharis Kennedy and studio jeweler Kim Nogueira.
Kharis Kennedy
Displaying works on canvas and paper from multiple series, including “Comfort Animals,” “Logo Creatures” and “Touch Has a Memory.” Her large-scale and sometimes unsettling paintings tackle themes that include consumerism and fashion, feminism, identity and the body as a source of knowledge.
Kim Nogueira
Jeweler Kim Nogueira whose works on display included enamel, copper and gemstone brooches made in collaboration with photographer William Stelzer. Nogueira describes her studio jewelry as “miniature navigational atlases to the unseen, the unheard, the unknown: the world behind this world.”
Vintage St. John
By Valerie Sims
In February, Bajo El Sol hosted its most recent book event, welcoming author Valerie Sims for a presentation and signing "Vintage St. John."
The book charts the history of Estates Annaberg, Mary's Point, and Lamesur during the time her ancestors owned those properties. It includes stories and vignettes of the family's memories and experiences of living, working and vacationing on St. John in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It includes 200 rare historic photographs of the Virgin Islands.
“Samuel Siblings”
February 2020
New works by brother and sister artists, Avelino and Karen Samuel. Avelino and Karen Samuel were born and raised in Coral Bay, St. John.
Avelino Samuel
Avelino Samuel developed an interest in woodworking at a young age. Today his creations, both decorative and functional, reside in private collections across the globe. Samuel is highly sought-out internationally for his wood-turning demonstrations, which he has shared in places as far away as Tanzania and Australia. Samuel’s work was recently featured at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in Charlotte, in North Carolina.
One of Samuel’s specialties is creating highly ornate hand-turned hollow vessels, primarily from local woods including genip, raintree, white prickle, and West Indian mahogany. He uses oils, polishes, natural stains and lacquers, as well as hand-burning techniques to give the vessels their striking textures and finishes.
Samuel says he sometimes prefers “the material to be the dominant voice” in his pieces, while “in other instances, the wood is worked to accent its character.” His aim, he says, is to create objects that showcase the beauty of wood, and that appeal to both the visual and tactile senses.
Karen Samuel
Karen Samuel has been recognized for her artistic talent since her teenage years. She is a graduate of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas and holds a degree in arts education from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is known for her portraits and landscapes in oil. She additionally works in graphite, conte crayon, colored pencil, gauche and watercolors.
She began her art career with commissioned portraits of local dignitaries and island history, which can be seen in many public buildings in the territory. The contemporary scenes of island life she paints aim to capture the quiet dignity of the people of the Virgin Islands. Samuel is also known as a clothing and quilt designer. Her commissions include wedding gowns, evening wear, pageant outfits and carnival costumes.
“Voices of the Streets:
A Dramatized Monologue”
Bajo El Sol Gallery hosted two live performances of “Voices of the Streets: A Dramatized Monologue” on January, 25th and 26th, 2020. The program featured spoken word and theatric performances by visiting Antiguan poet and artist Iyaba Ibo Mandingo as well as several Virgin Islands-based artists.
Performers:
Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, Jahweh David, Euwema, Khalarni Rivers, Nyaila Callwood, Shammie Phipps and Starry Lail. The event also featured music by D’Jeli Group.
Iyaba Ibo Mandingo
Iyaba Ibo Mandingo is a poet, painter, writer, actor and playwright born in Antigua. He studied fine arts at Southern Connecticut State University and today teaches in and around the tri-state area as a Master Teaching Artist. He appears regularly as a performance poet in venues across the United States and abroad, including Nuyorican Poetry Café, Brooklyn Moon, and Next Door Café among others. He was awarded a national Percent for the Arts Program artist grant, as well as grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, and multiple commendations from the Nassau County African American Museum. His artwork has been included in over a dozen group and individual shows.
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A Bottle Of Water
By Sherman Thomas
Thomas’s first book “A Bottle of Water” is a story of survival and growth after a traumatic accident. It is the personal testimony of a football coach and award-winning weight lifter who was hit by a speeding car while on his way to purchase a bottle of water.
Thomas is a firefighter with the Virgin Islands Fire Department and a mentor at My Brother’s Workshop on St. Thomas. A self-described sports fanatic, he is one of the official commentators for the University of the Virgin Islands Basketball League. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing the guitar as one of the musicians at his church, Bovoni Baptist Church.