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 Speech by Mr Courtenay Williams

September 30, 2008

 

 

OVAL PROJECT OPENING- 30^th September 2008

 

THANK YOU SPEECH

           by

Mr Courtenay Williams

President of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago

 

 

• His Excellency President Professor George Maxwell Richards
• The Members of the Diplomatic Corps
• The Deputy Mayor of Port of Spain, Mr Rishie Lackhan,Councillors and Aldermen of the Port of Spain City Corporation
• The Managing Director of The Label House, Mr David Lewis
• Corporate Sponsors, Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen

 

 

I have been asked to move a vote of thanks in these proceedings.

 

To move a vote of this nature is to give thanks and accordingly I give thanks to His Excellency, the President for allocating time to share this afternoon with us, his presence is his express support for not only this project, but in general terms his support for re-dressing the obvious paucity of public Art in this Country

 

Public Art is a reflection of the pride which a people feel for their Country. Public Art moves Art out of boardrooms, living rooms and bedrooms into the public area.  It is in the public area for all to enjoy and to feel a part of.    There would be no public Art without Artists to make it, and accordingly I thank the Artists of Trinidad and Tobago. Not only those who contributed directly to this project, but to those Artists who have preceded them.

 

As you may know the Art Society traces its roots to the Society of Independents whose work came to an end in or about l938 but which spawned awareness by Artists of the need to collaborate with each other.

 

So, in the pre-independence era, the Art Society gave support to the execution of the Art policy of the State well before the Division and subsequently Ministry of Culture was ever conceived. The Society’s involvement in the Visual arts, therefore, is deep and strong and we are pleased to have played an integral part in the execution of this magnificent project.

 

We thank the Artists who have contributed work and demonstrated their good will in the first instalment of this ongoing project.   The intention to use this project as outreach, is as deep,as it is wide. The Artists who contributed are: Dr James Armstrong, Mr Carlisle Harris, Mr Gregory Williams,Mr Winston Stewart, Mr Andy Jacobs, Mr Shastri Maharaj, Mr Makemba Kunle, Ms Lisa O’Connor, Mr Jackie Hinkson, Mr Peter Sheppard, Mr Parmanan Singh , Mr Prahbu Singh, Mr Martin Superville and Ms Sarah Beckett.

 

The contribution of these Artists can only have been galvanized if there was a viable project for them to support and I turn therefore to thank The Label House Group for bringing this concept to Trinidad and Tobago.  Public Art being displayed in this format is not new, but the fact is, it is new to Trinidad and Tobago and the Label House Group is to be commended for its drive and commitment to the project.  They have demonstrated yet again that private enterprise possesses the necessary will and drive to lead the way and to get programmes such as this seen and heard. At a time when the Country’s architectural patrimony is being allowed to be destroyed without hindrance, the Label House Group has sent an important message that recognising our artistic heritage is important to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

I would particularly thank Mr David Lewis and Mr Alfred Louisaing of the Label House Group for their commitment to executing this project which it is proposed would be fully implemented over the next few weeks. The Art Society is pleased to have such a receptive and industrious people with whom to liaise to bring future projects to finality.

 

The Society and the Label House Group have collaborated meaningfully to ensure that all the copyright concerns that arise have been dealt with and that Artists and the Society, as their respresentative body, received their just dues for their intellectual property rights and artistic efforts.

 

I wish to thank as well, his Worship, The Mayor of Port of Spain for lending his support to this project and for easing the administrative burdens which had to be negotiated for executing a project like this one within the City of Port of Spain.

 

AND to the supporting cast without whom, much of this would not be possible, I speak now about the Media, Advantage Advertising and More Vino

 

I conclude by thanking all present for the public spiritedness which their attendance at this opening demonstrates.

 

I THANK YOU

 

 

 

 

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