Art for a cause
Scores of persons from St Elizabeth, Manchester and adjoining areas turned out to support the recently held Mandeville Art Fair.
The annual event was held at the St John Bosco Boys Home in Mandeville, from last Thursday through Saturday. The event has been staged for the last 22 years, but more importantly, it is through the generosity and commitment of corporate sponsors like First Global Financial Services (FGFS) that the annual staging has been possible.
For four years, FGFS has given organisers the clearest signal that they would become the major sponsor as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The art fair attracted pieces from more than 80 budding and seasoned Jamaican artists including the late Albert Huie, Carl Abrahams, Christopher Gonzales, Viv Logan, David Pottinger, Barrington Watson, Fiona Godfrey, Fitzroy Symister, Patrick Waldermar, Milton Messam and Lennox Coke, among others.
22 YEARS AND GOING
Sponsorship coordinator for the art fair, Marcia Tai Chun, explained that the Mandeville Art Fair started 22 years ago under the guidance of Mandeville's first Roman Catholic bishop, Paul Boyle, along with a group of persons in the Diocese who wanted to raise funds to address a number of charitable causes.
All the earnings from the fair are channelled into charities run by the Mandeville Diocese, such as indigent and children's homes, homework programmes, education, which includes early-childhood, secondary and tertiary levels, inclusive of scholarships.
"We are just delighted to be associated with the art fair for the past 10 years. We started out as part sponsors ... , but within the past four years, we have decided to be the major sponsor. It is really good to see the paintings, beautiful plants and enjoy the warmth of the people," said Maria Ho Sue, FGFS vice president for business development.
Ho Sue said further, "It is good to give back to the community from which we earn and equally to foster our relationship with our clients.