Kingston Creative and Red Stripe Flavours continue their mission to deepen connections to art-centred cultural tourism destinations located downtown, Kingston.
Apart of their ‘Discover Downtown’ initiative, the free Artwalk Festival now offers a Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour with stops to the Tivoli Gardens Mural Project, the new Art Park in Parade Gardens, and to see exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica.
The Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour which is available for booking online via the Kulcha Connect app, brings exposure and income to partnering communities.
‘The Hop On, Hop Off Bus is a new experience that has been added to the Art Walk Festival,’ said Executive Director of Kingston Creative, Andrea Dempster Chung.
‘We want to continue giving visitors more reasons to take tours and Discover Downtown by exploring authentic communities like Tivoli, Parade Gardens, Rae Town and Trench Town.’
‘These are communities that have rich historical significance, and we hope that people will not only be in awe of the artworks, but also be open to hearing the stories of the communities and see why it is so important to preserve our rich Jamaican cultural heritage.’
Get this, the newly added feature of the artwalk is here to stay. According to Dempster Chung, ‘we have tours lined up for our upcoming festivals on the last Sunday of every month, and we invite everyone to come out and bring family and friends to learn more about the gems that downtown, Kingston has to offer.’
Following the tragic Tivoli Incursion that happened in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, in 2010, community members have embraced restoration in creative ways.
Tivoli Mural Project founders, O’Neil Coke and Micah Tafari, shared insight into the community’s history and the story behind each mural that now covers the community walls.
‘Our project extends beyond the concept of art; it seeks to welcome different people to view the space differently. With the tragedies and trauma that have affected our community, we wanted to start a project that promotes unity and provides healing through art, which we hope will restore peace in the community,’ shared Micah Tafari.
Micah Tafari and O’Neil Coke expressed gratitude to the Kingston Creative team for giving patrons the opportunity to experience the murals and learn about the community’s rich history.
‘This is my first time participating in a project as big as this. When I heard the message behind the project, I knew it was something I wanted to dedicate my time to. I wanted people to understand that regardless of where you are from and how difficult the journey may be, you can achieve everything you strive for in life, even if you cannot see the end of the road,’ stated Carol Chung, an artist in the Tivoli Murals Project.
Reflecting the sentiments of her fellow artists, Chung, affectionately known as ‘Syckasso’, described her mural featuring well-known landmarks downtown, such as the Digicel building, ROK Hotel, and the Waterfront.
She aims for her artwork to be easily recognisable and relatable. To symbolise the importance of exploring beyond one’s immediate surroundings, she included depictions of places she wishes to visit, such as Brazil, France, and Egypt.
Additionally, she incorporated motivational words on the buildings to remind viewers of the ongoing journey of progress, emphasising that we are not meant to stay in one place forever.
The Visual Arts-themed recent staging featured over 40 artisans on Church Street with paintings, live drawings, pottery painting workshops by the Trench Town Art and Ceramics Centre, jewellery and other wares.
Attendees participated in domino tournaments and free paint-and-sip sessions and enjoyed complimentary beverages, with the support of Red Stripe Flavours, KSAMC, Main Event and Catherine’s Peak.
Some patrons signed up for the crochet classes, some participated in a Sherwin-Williams paint-off, an dothers viewed The Edna Manley Final Year Exhibition curated by Miriam Smith inside the FnB Downtown restaurant.
Closing out the Art Walk with high-energy musical performances were headliners Jay Edge and Ecina emerging from the organisation’s new partnership with Super Heavy.
The theme of July’s festival is Fashion, and for the third year, this iteration will feature a showcase by local fashion designers and Saint International models. The segment is curated by Deiwght Peters.
