“More professionalism is needed!” Such has been the revived rant in my head as circumstances beyond my control have led me down the memory lane of exhibition-making. Artists make organising for them (us) difficult! As a community, Guyanese artists often complain that not much is being done for us, but when something is being done, artists do not make it easy.
Failure to observe deadlines is much too constant; always, there are late submissions. Submitting paintings that are unframed or otherwise not ready to be hung (with neatly painted edges) is perennial, and this is from the young-in-experience and the older-in experience artists.
Submitting work that is unsigned or without the artwork details so labels or exhibition booklet entries can be made accurately and in a timely manner is too typical. And this is again from the young-in-experience and the older-in experience artists. What is also typical is that what appears cool and easy to the eyes of exhibition audiences comes with excessive effort, persistent phone calling, and emailing to get simple information and this is often before the sweat of actually hanging works or setting plinths in place begins. I do not envy the job done by Pekahiah James and Sade Barrow-Browne in organising The Moving Circle’s 2023 Exhibition and FineArt.gy’s ‘Beyond the Brush’ respectively.