Art is a form of meditation for many. It can take you into a different world, clearing your mind while even helping you to find answers to certain issues in your life.
You can also enhance your own personal creativity if you visit art galleries. There are so many of them around the world, with the Caribbean boasting of some of the best.
Essentially, art galleries in the Caribbean have managed to capture the beauty of the island while telling its history with a number of works inspired by local and international artists.
Here are some of the must-visit art galleries in the Caribbean:
Galerie Monnin
Originally based in downtown Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, Galerie Monnin began operations in 1959 and has so far displayed the beauty of the Caribbean country through crafts and artwork made by talented artists.
Now located at Petion-Ville, the gallery says it “strives to be the cutting edge of the artistic and cultural development of Haiti; and this despite all the socio-political turmoil, the misadventures and the ups and downs of this singular little country of fiercely individual creators.”
OBRA Galeria
Opening in the year 2000 in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, the gallery has, over the years, “dedicated exhibitions to the paintings and sculptures of the great artists of Puerto Rican and international art.”
Highly recognized as one of the most important fine art galleries in Puerto Rico, OBRA Galeria exhibits works made by some contemporary sculptors and painters, including Carmelo Fontanez, Olga Albizu and Nick Quijano.
Tides Art Gallery
Located on the West coast of Barbados in the well-known Tides Restaurant, Holetown, St. James, the gallery contains an “extensive collection of colorful Caribbean artwork which has been sourced from talented Barbadian and Caribbean artists from across the region.”
The Inner Gallery
Dubbed the “dynamic cultural house,” the gallery, located within downtown Castries on Saint Lucia, features the latest works of the island’s best and most popular artists.
From paintings, jewelry, clothing to accessories, the gallery is noted for its annual art exhibition where works made by local and international artists are displayed.
Art At The Ridge
Located at Sugar Ridge Village near Jolly Harbour in the west of Antigua, Art At The Ridge features over 60 Antiguan artists and craftspeople.
It holds regular art exhibitions where artworks made by local artists are displayed. These exhibitions also attract a lot of tourists who are given the chance to purchase some of these crafts and artworks.
NLS
Based in Kingston, Jamaica, NLS supports “visual artists whose practice is based in relentless experimentation, and to connect such artists to the global contemporary art community,” it says on its website.
Being a non-profit subsidiary of the audio recording studio and production house Creative Sounds Ltd, NLS provides affordable studio space for visual artists in Jamaica.