BUYING JAMAICAN ART DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE JAMAICAN ECONOMY

 

                                                

Jamaican Art: Richard Hall's "By the Water's Edge"

Jamaica’s ranks among the top ten most culturally influential countries in the world behind the likes of China and Brazil and certainly ahead of the United States of America. Our music, dance, Jamaican Art, and other social expressions are the primary drivers of the island’s culture, albeit without serious economic and social support from government and other social interests at home.

While the country grapples with productivity issues, such as its inability to find competitive space for manufactured goods in the various export markets, it has failed to realize a largely untapped creative industry which requires very little import content yet having the ability to contribute exponentially to the island’s earning capacity via marketing intellectual property. It may come as a surprise to many that Art is in fact an export industry and in 2019 its global value was estimated at $50.1 billion in 2020 with online sales accounting for $12.6 billion. The USA accounts for 40.2 percent of those sales with China and Great Britain each accounting for 20 percent of those sales.

From a business development standpoint, Jamaica’s proximity to the USA makes this a “low-hanging fruit” especially given its ever increasing Diaspora population. The task is in getting Jamaicans in the Diaspora to understand the importance in supporting Jamaican artists by purchasing their work.

Jamaica established the National Cultural Training Centre in 1975/76 which was later renamed the Edna Manley Centre for the Visual and Performing Arts with a vision of broadening the opportunities for artisans and craftsmen and to strengthen the island’s cultural output. To make all this work though, we need to support the work of the island’s creative people. We all need to buy the works of our local artists. Whether you start with original art pieces or giclee prints on canvas, it represents a start. Find an artist or group of artists whose work appeals to you. Talk with them where possible...go to their shows. Most will work out payment arrangements with you to help make it easier to acquire their work. As an artist myself, I certainly do.

For my part I am now offering Jamaican art that I have purchased directly from artists in Jamaica for resale on my website at www.yardabraawd.com. One such artist that I am currently working with is Richard Hall, whose work has seen significant demand growth. I have also been representing an intuitive ceramist Over time I will be adding more Jamaica-based artists, especially artists just leaving the Edna Manley College. I am convinced that by purchasing the products and services of local artists, and artisans we all play a part in reflecting the authenticity of Jamaica’s culture and hence drive tourist interest to the island and our people worldwide. More families in Jamaica (with our support) will be  better able to sustain themselves, while your patronage contributes to expanding the economic landscape in Jamaica.

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog, please leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we appreciate your feedback. We also invite you to check Sunday Scoops our Jamaican music streaming and commentary program every Sunday from 2-4pm on yaawdmedia.com feel free to share with your friends.