Visit the Best Art Gallery in Nassau

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NAGB - Soul On Fire, 2001 By Marion Hunt From The D’Aguilar Art Foundation Collection

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.

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Placed around the outside we found various modern art sculptures – the Serpent Woman, the Crawfish Woman and the Queen of Junkanoo.

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Serpent Woman, 1997 – Wellington Bridgewater – NAGB
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Crawfish Woman, 1998 – Wellington Bridgewater – NAGB
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The Queen of Junkanoo, 2001-2003, By Nick “The Copper King – NAGB” Austin

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.

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Easter Sunday, 1992 By Erica Moiah James – NAGB
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Boom Box Rhapsody, 1993 By Jackson Burnside – NAGB
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Emancipation Day Boat Cruise, 1998 By John Beadle – NAGB
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The Church of Ephesus, 2002 By Livingstone Pratt – NAGB
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The Crucification II, 2009 By Eric Ellis – NAGB

“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.

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Conchy Joe, By April Bey – NAGB
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VICTORIA/AFRICA-N-ISM — Emancipation To Freedom (Independence 1973) By Kendal Hanna – NAGB
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Black Crab Syndrome, 2014 By Max Taylor – NAGB
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Who Are We?, 2014 By Sue Katz – NAGB
Included in the temporary display was a whole room dedicated to woman’s faces and hair entitled “The “Kinky Project”.
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The Original – Model: Ava Turnquest – NAGB
Before you leave you can stop in the gift shop to see a variety of Bahamian art and trinkets for sale. Much better souvenirs than a t-shirt!  If you want to learn more about the Bahamians, take yourself slightly off the tourist path with an informative and interesting visit to the National Art Gallery of Bahamas!

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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About TravelAtWill 759 Articles
Travel blogger and photographer! Scuba diving, luxury cruising, chocoholic, sea and sunshine addicts, camera attached and just generally curious! Join us on our adventures!

2 Comments

  1. 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.

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