Anthea McGibbon, Gleaner Writer

Nigel teaches his craft to tourists (from left) Alain Delack, Patricia Coopmans, Erin Jacobs and Daniel Jacobs.

Over the coming weeks, Sunday Arts will present a series of articles exploring the links between art and tourism. This introductory feature explores the nexus between the two entities.

Lured by tourism packages, millions of international visitors travel to immerse themselves in the world's diverse cultures. Arts tourism strengthens the line of tourism packages, offering perhaps the most candid experience of a country's culture.

Local collector Wayne Chen admits to being one among many international visitors who follow their passions for the visual arts to most, if not all, leading galleries and museums.

According to Tourism Minister, Honourable Edmund Bartlett, "The artistic expression of a people is a critical experience that the travel trade seeks, and is prepared to pay for." It is an understanding of artistic expression within this context which will enable one to understand the link between tourism and art, as in some cultures it's best referred to as 'visual culture', or even 'material art'.

Further, in order to incorporate craft, the distinction between high and low art can be duly considered in modern society the line of distinction seems to be fading, while appreciation and classi-fication are left to individual taste especially with the exploration of pop art, and more contemporary creative expressions.

High art, considered the epitome of artistic achievements, is appreciated relative to such things as intelligence, social standing, educated taste, and a willingness to be challenged. Low art usually refers to the shoddy manufacturing in inferior materials of superficial kitsch, merely catering to popular taste. This is according to Art Lex.

While art tourism promotes specifically artistic expressions, differing somewhat from culture tourism and heritage tourism, the three are somewhat related.

Culture tourism, according to the Wikepedia free encyclopaedia dictionary, is the subset of tourism concerned with the regions culture, specifically the arts, facilitating museums, and encouraging such activities as festivals. Stebbins (1996) writes, "Cultural tourism is a genre of special interest tourism based on the search for and participation in new and deep cultural experiences, whether aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, or psychological." (948) This useful definition takes into account varied cultural forms, including museums, galleries, festivals, architecture, historic sites, artistic performances, heritage sites, and cultural experiences, in a touring situation.

Heritage tourism details more specifically historically related institutions and events.

Heritage tourism details more specifically historically related institutions and events.

Just four years ago, in 2003, Hawaiian tourism officials joined forces with the arts and culture community to attract upscale travellers during slow tourism periods to an attractive 'Arts Season' package. Countries such as Malaysia, in recognising the added unique value of their developing art community, now hosts art tourism expos.

Jamaica's art scene covers a broad range of expressions, styles, mediums, that can enrich our country's quality of life, and in this vein the Minister Bartlett is determined to see tourists "come to the country primarily for art, aside from the experience and other delights of the country". Beyond paintings and crafts, Jamaica's culture can be detailed, through stone works, ceramics, woodcraft, painting, textiles and as compliment the performing artists.

Vital component

This piece by Ras Natango, done in 1997, is an example of Jamaican fine art adorning the walls of the hotels. - Photos by Noel Thompson

Minister Bartlett, in his new role as Tourism Minister, highlights the strength of the Jamaican art movement as he told The Sunday Gleaner that, "Craft development is a vital component of the overall creative dimension of the tourism product."

Committing to developing a proper infrastructure for showcasing (through to Jamaica's Heritage Tourism, Art Tourism and Culture Tourism), arts as is done in countries such as the U.S., he said, "In my watch, I'll be working with the Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports to achieve those synergies."

He already has the support of the Ambassador of Spain who, on Thursday, September 27, revealed the embassy's findings on the local tourism sector before pledging funds for offsetting costs in the building of a hospitality and Tourism institution with culture in special focus.

To this end, he says artist villages are going to be encou-raged. Business persons and hoteliers join local artists and artisans in anxiously awaiting the genesis of tourism art, as at least two parishes concentrate on planning an arts festivals and tourism and art exhibitions for next year.

Wayne Chen shares the vision to see travellers come to Jamaica the same way they travel to Florence, Italy and Madrid, and galleries such as Prada, along with leading auction houses for art in addition to other attractions. William Tavares-Finson, however in his capacity as an art auctioneer, says his auctions have attracted an increasing but still insignificant number. He sees tourism art being more successful as a part of a culture tourism package, at least in the short term, as he told The Sunday Gleaner, "Its all economics."

Similarities, interactions

Craft work along the north coast.

It is the opinion of Belgium-born art historian and research fellow at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Veerle Poupeye, that tourism art has not been taken seriously in Jamaica. However, she says, "There are more similarities and interactions between the two than is often acknow-ledged." This confirms findings by the Sunday Gleaner that too little is known by the larger Jamaican public on the connection between the two, and more important, their own role in the scheme of things.

Veerle Poupeye earlier this year presented a paper on tourism and art in Jamaica. "Tourism has, after all, played an integral, if often problematic part in the development of Jamaican culture and art since the late 19th century." In her take she argued that tourist art is often dismissed as unauthentic, but that many 'culturally pure' Jamaican artists, such as the intuitives, have found their main commercial outlet in the tourist market.

She also adds that such artists have responded actively in their works to the expectations of tourist buyers, which changed accordingly. She also discussed the so-called north coast carvings, their place in the hierarchies of Jamaican art and their reception by Jamaican audiences, in particular the role of Rastafarian artists and imagery in these carvings, and the controversies that have surrounded the so-called Fern Gully carvings. Her findings are found in 'Modern Jamaican Art and Caribbean Art'.

Figures by the Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture show a record number of 3 million visitors (1,680,642 stopovers and 1,334,441 cruise), for the year 2006. In September these figures enabled Jamaica to cop the World Travel Award for the number one cruise shipping destination. It's anybody's guess, however, the percentage of these numbers that have been sensitised to our art, or how an exploration of art tourism might impact on these figures.

David Ellis, operations manager at Beaches Resorts, Negril, with more than 20 years in a good variety of the combined arts and the hotel industry, observes an obvious lack of connectivity between our art (in its purest sense) and our culture. For Ellis, art enriches the experience of the guests and serves as a constant reminder of the Jamaican experience, being the most defined evidence of who we are.

Naysayers suggest that foreign investors have taken full advantage of our shores without due respect to local artists, artisans and artistes. arts tourism like any other tourism, is highly significant to the progress of any country. With a positive economic and social impact, it also establishes, expresses and reinforces identity.

It complements cultural heritage tourism which, according to according to Richards, 1996, as quoted in a 2002-3 Baltic Cultural Tourism Policy Paper by UNESCO encompasses "culture as an instrument [which] facilitates harmony and understanding among people, and helps renew tourism".

Anthea McGibbon, a graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, has over 10 years' experience in the fields of journalism and the arts. Contact her at islandartattack@yahoo.co.uk or HYPERLINK mail to: anthea.mcgibbon@gleanerjm.com.

3rd prize - A sketch to be done by artist, Ras Ballie.