The National Collection will soon have a permanent home, with the establishment of a National Art Gallery.
This announcement came from Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, during his address on Sunday at the opening of the Crop Over Visual Arts Festival in the Grande Salle, Tom Adams Financial Centre, The City.
Acknowledging that the Gallery was long in coming, Mr. Lashley assured guests that the wait was not in vain.
???The good news is that it is becoming a reality??? I???m pleased to advise that a space has now been made available by the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Rural Development ??? the same location where the CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) was housed,??? he revealed.
Addressing concerns about the state of the building, the Minister assured that it was ???in very good condition???. However, he noted that there were still several issues that needed to be addressed before the National Collection could be set up, and the National Art Gallery established.
???The space needs to be cleaned and reconfigured to ensure that our National Art Gallery can be up and running in the shortest possible time ??? We have to do inside work to make sure that it fits the requirements of the National Art Gallery,??? he explained.??Although no date has been given, the Minister of Culture assured that the repairs and refurbishment would be done in a timely fashion.
jamal.weekes@barbados.gov.bb