Forget Shopping – See Bahamian Art and Culture at the Best Art Gallery in Nassau
When you are visiting Nassau, Bahamas – either staying on New Providence Island or in for the day at the cruise port – don’t just shop or lounge on the beach. A few short blocks from the downtown core you can get a great look into Bahamian art and culture at the best art gallery in Nassau.
The National Art Gallery of Bahamas (NAGB) located on the corner of West St and West Hill Street is housed in the historic Doyle House built in the 1860’s by Sir William Doyle. The building renovated as an art gallery opened to the public in 2003. It is a beautiful example of Palladian architecture and if you wander around outside you can see a set of plaques depicting the history of the building. The house itself – inside and outside – deserves some attention.
Placed around the outside we found various modern art sculptures – the Serpent Woman, the Crawfish Woman and the Queen of Junkanoo.
There is a permanent exhibit and regularly changing topical temporary exhibits. Check the NAGB website to see what is on display when you are in town.
The Permanent Exhibit at the NAGB
The permanent exhibit provides a wide range of Bahamian artworks, including paintings, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, photography and other mixed media works. . The key theme throughout is Bahamian history and culture. The art is often colourful and bright – regardless of the seriousness or religious nature of the topic. You can easily see from the samples selected that I was drawn to the more vivid images.
“Antillean – An Ecology” Exhibit at NAGB
The temporary exhibit when we visited was a display of predominantly modern sculptures and paintings. Titled “Antilean – An Ecology”, the exhibit shows various artists attempting to answer the question “What Is Bahamian?”. It provides a showcase for contemporary artists of Bahamian descent or those living and working in The Bahamas today. Through such exhibits, the NAGB plays a critical role in the development of visual arts as an expression of national identity.
Don’t Miss A Visit To The Art Gallery of Bahamas
When you visit Nassau in Bahamas, don’t miss a chance to visit the National Art Gallery of Bahamas. It may be the best art gallery in Nassau. But forget about shopping and see for yourself!
A special thank you to the National Art Gallery of Bahamas for allowing me to share a sample of photos of the interesting art on display at this best art gallery in Nassau. This small selection should be seen as a tease to get you to explore and see it all! And since the temporary exhibits change regularly, you can stop back more than once!
Have you visited the best art gallery in Nassau? Did you have a favourite piece of art? Are there other cultural sites in Nassau that visitors should not miss?
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I love visiting art galleries when I travel as a way to get a glimpse into the culture of the destintation I’m visiting. I can see why you think this is the best art gallery in Nassau. And, the gift shop sounds like a great place to pick up a souvenir to bring back home with you.
We were glad the art gallery was recommended to us for a visit to Nassau. And interesting collection. The temporary exhibits would make each visit a little different.