We are pleased to announce that the International Reggae Poster Contest is organizing the 20th Art of Reggae exhibition and the Freestylee Roots exhibition in Jamaica.
The 20th Art of Reggae exhibition
The 20th Art of Reggae exhibition will be hosted by MBJ Airports, operator of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. The exhibition opens in the departure terminal on 17 November 2017.
The exhibition will feature the top 100 posters from the fifth annual contest, selected from among 1,270 entries submitted by 748 graphic designers representing 75 nations. The winning submissions can be seen on the competition’s website, www.reggaepostercontest.com.
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the winners of MBJ’s artisan competition will be announced. Their art work will be available in partnering retail outlets at the airport.
As its primary objective, the contest engages reggae fans from across the globe by providing a platform for artistic expression that celebrates the universal appeal of, and respect for, Jamaican music. The outpouring of artistic talent, in turn, heightens Jamaica’s musical presence internationally, supporting the founders’ vision for a world-class Reggae Hall of Fame in Kingston.
Secondly, the contest aims to raise awareness and funding through the sale of posters for the Alpha Boys’ School, a non-profit institute that provides vocational training and general education for 150 teens and young men from inner city communities. Alpha Boys’ School has nurtured several notable icons of Jamaican music and continues to make an important social and cultural contribution.
Notwithstanding its name, the Poster Contest welcomes submissions that celebrate all genres of Jamaican music, from mento to ska, rocksteady and dancehall. There are two jury panels, with 12 judges each, from Jamaica, Canada, Greece, the US, Mexico, Cuba, Ghana, China, Japan, Bolivia, Italy, Israel and the UK.
About MBJ Airports:
MBJ Airports Limited, operator of Sangster International Airport, is a partnership between Mexico-based Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) and Canada-based Vantage Airport Group Ltd. through a 30-year concession agreement with the Government of Jamaica that began in 2003. For more information about MBJ Airports, please visit www.mbjairport.com
RSVP: [email protected] by October 27, 2017
The “FREESTYLEE ROOTS” exhibition
The “FREESTYLEE ROOTS” exhibition opens at the Valencia C Room (16 Worthington Avenue) of Spanish Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica on November 18, 2017 at 6pm and closes on November 26, 2017.
The exhibition is organized by Maria Papaefstathiou, co-founder with Michael ‘Freestyee’ Thompson of the International Reggae Poster Contest – in collaboration with Michael’s widow, Maria Hudson; and his son, Dane Thompson.
Conceived as “ROOTS”, this vibrant collection of posters penetrates beneath the surface, reaching to the foundations of Jamaican culture. The original name of the island, Xaymaca, means land of wood and water in the Arawakan language. The fertility of the Jamaican landscape is matched by the richness of the island’s resilient culture.
At the root of modern Jamaica is a history of sustained resistance against forces of oppression. The Taino people fought valiantly against the rapacious European invaders. Later, Africans who were brought against their will to Xaymaca escaped enslavement, establishing Maroon communities in the mountainous interior. In the 20th century, the Rastafari movement emerged as a new wave of maroonage, with a vision of repatriation to Africa. And reggae music exploded as the sound track of the island’s cultural revolution.
This exhibition of Michael Thompson’s powerful posters focuses on two distinct themes. First, there is the celebration of the heroism of the Jamaican people: Queen Nanny of the Maroons, freedom fighter Paul Bogle and Marcus Garvey, Pan-Africanist champion of black people across the world. Jamaican culture in all its dynamism is honoured. The second theme of the exhibition highlights some of the festering global problems that need urgent attention. For example, Thompson’s evocative posters constitute creative resistance to the tragedy of war and forced migration.
In essence, “ROOTS” presents a substantive selection of Michael Thompson’s politically engaged posters. The exhibition eloquently articulates the artist’s mission to change how we look at the past and the present and how we conceive the future. Affirming the optimism of Bob Marley’s “One Love” message, Thompson’s poster art reaches beyond borders to embrace diverse cultures, establishing communities of empathy.
RSVP #: 8769260299 by November 5, 2017
