National Art Gallery’s use centralised in culture minister after non-appointment of management committee

Last Updated on Sunday, 6 October 2024, 21:13 by Writer

The National Art Gallery (Castellani House) has not had a management committee for more than two years, resulting in approvals being done by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson in consultation with the curator, officials said Sunday.

Mr Ramson did not respond to calls and messages by Demerara Waves Online News but delegated the Director of Culture Tamika Boatswain and Curator of the Art Gallery, Ohene Koama to respond to concerns by accomplished Guyanese artist, Stanley Greaves.

Ms Boatswain and Mr Koama emphasised that no one had been rejected under the existing system in which the minister would decide whether requests should be greenlighted. “When he came to be minister of this Ministry, the decision was taken that he will approve the request. The approval comes from the minister and then we will follow-up with the necessaries required,” she said. She said that is the procedure for all facilities under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

She credited Mr Ramson with supporting artists based on their requests.

Ms Boatswain said the law does not provide for a management committee and so its establishment is purely discretionary by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport. Ms Boatswain said only the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport could decide when the management committee would be appointed, but the Curator was not excluded from the decision-making. “Ohene is part of the decision-making process. When the applications are being reviewed, he sits with the minister and there are discussions so he is not out of the process completely has no say in it like it’s seeming,” he said.

Ms Boatswain debunked Mr Greaves’ assertion that there was no curator at the National Gallery of Art. “Ohene Koama remains the Curator at the National Gallery of Art and he remains very active in the decision-making of the Ministry in relation to the Gallery and its clients,” she said.

Responding to Mr Greaves saying that he abandoned plans to hold an exhibition to mark his 90th birthday after Mr Koama referred him to Minister Ramson, Ms Boatswain said that is the procedure to keep the minister informed. “The policy for channeling applications to the minister’s office is mainly to keep the Ministry informed of incoming requests for use of the gallery,” she said. The Director of Culture said the Ministry of Culture has “never turned away” any artist since that process began.

The Curator of the National Art Gallery said “there are some seams that need to be ironed out” in terms of timing and logistics.

Efforts to persuade Mr Greaves to stage his exhibition at the National Art Gallery were futile, as he prefers a committee is established to make decisions. Mr Greaves said in a letter to Stabroek News that the Castellani House Committee should be re-established. He said past members included a government representative, lawyers, the business community, artists, writers and Head of the Burrowes School of Art.
Piling criticisms on the Culture Youth and Sport Minister, Mr Greaves also justified his decision not to go ahead with his exhibition, saying that Mr Ramson refused to apologise for the manner in which he treated Administrator of the Burrowes School of Art, Ivor Thom, an iconic Guyanese sculptor.

Mr Thom decided to resume duties after Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo intervened and appealed to him to do so. The Vice President said he also informed Mr Ramson that such matters should be dealt with by the Permanent Secretary.