Cayman Art Week returns
By Andrea Lumsden
07 Jun 2022
07 Jun 2022
Above image: Cayman Art Week's "no barriers" approach allows attendees to explore all genres of visual art, as it did in 2021 with an event at the Crucial Ink Tattoo Lounge and Fine Art Gallery.
It’s official. The second annual Cayman Art Week, a four-day portal into the world of art in the Cayman Islands, is set to return in June, giving artists, art collectors and local businesses a reason to rejoice.
Staged across every district on all three islands, this year’s Cayman Art Week — which is sponsored by Provenance Properties Cayman Islands — promises to live up to the success of last year’s highly lauded event with a wide range of contributions and participation from local creators and curators.
“Cayman’s commercial and cultural economies are intertwined,” says Ainjalia Muriu, sales manager for Provenance Properties, the Christie’s International Real Estate exclusive affiliate in the Cayman Islands. “Cayman Art Week is an opportunity to fuel these economies by giving artists a new platform, while enriching our community with unprecedented experiences."
ZERO BARRIERS
One of the goals of Cayman Art Week is to stimulate investment in Caymanian art by creating a viable art market in the Cayman Islands, says Cayman Art Week project founder and executive director Natalie Urquhart. A key way to achieve this is with a platform that enables participation without the deterrent of artist entry fees or event ticket sales.
“Cayman Art Week is designed to ensure all sales go directly to the participating venues and artists, so there are no fees for participation, and equally, no fees for the public to engage with the programme,” says Urquhart. “Instead, we rely on the support of sponsors such as Provenance Properties, a partnership we’re delighted will continue this year.”
Urquhart, whose vision for the volunteer-led Cayman Art Week is a labour of love borne in response to the impact of the pandemic on the creative sector, says that the Provenance Properties affiliation with Christie’s, the oldest art auction house in the world and a prestigious powerhouse in global art and luxury, makes them a perfect partner.
“Without partnerships to help us offset programming costs, it would be difficult for Cayman Art Week to support all of the venues in our programme.”
WHAT'S NEW IN 2022
In addition to widening this year’s audience to include visitors, Cayman Art Week is welcoming new artists, new venues and new experiences. Over the course of four days, starting on 23 June and not including a vernissage the day before, a series of pop-up exhibitions, studio tours, gallery installations, parties and more will take place in each district.
“We can expect to see even more pop-up venues and open studios this year,” says Urquhart, whose team of volunteers is working on connecting landlords with artists to create new exhibition spaces. “Last year, Cayman Art Week highlighted the vibrancy and scope of the arts sector as it began to rebound from the pandemic. We are excited to see this continue to grow as borders reopen and to welcome more of our community to this year’s events.”
Cayman Art Week will kick off with tours in West Bay and along Seven Mile Beach, and end in the Eastern districts, with events also happening every day on the Sister Islands.
"Art in the City" will return in partnership with George Town Revitalization and art lovers can expect another vibrant party in the capital this year.
Bus tours will once again make the rounds to all venues in each district and event organisers are encouraging sign-ups to ensure there’s room for all.
A full schedule of events and details can be found at caymanartweek.com.
Cayman Art Week 2022 schedule
Day One (Wednesday 22 June)
Day Two (Thursday 23 June)
Day Three (Friday 24 June)
Day Four (Saturday 25 June)
Additional events (throughout the week)
