Old MoBay fire station etched on canvas

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Jamaica Fire Brigade was presented with a gift in the form of a beautiful painting which captures the old buildings of the Montego Bay Fire Station that was previously located on Barnett Street in Montego Bay.

Thanks to the Caribbean Community Society (CARICS), whose directors have made it their duty to preserve the historic old fire station.

Anna-Kay Fowler, communications officer at CARICS, said the initiative to preserve the historic value of the fire station was a collaboration between her company and artist, Andrew Duhaney.

“This beautiful artistic rendition of the previous fire station is painted on a 3x4-feet canvas by Andrew Duhaney, one of Montego Bay’s finest paint artists, and presented to Commissioner Stewart Beckford and his deputies at the opening of the new fire station recently.”

Fowler said part of the initiative behind CARICS’s benevolence is to develop and expose local talents in the visual and performing arts, and that her company over the years has held premier art exhibitions, including its International Fine Arts Festival.

EASILY FORGED

She told The Gleaner that her company’s partnership with Duhaney was easily forged, having worked with him over the years through the mounting of exhibits at CARICS International Fine Arts festivals.

“He is known for his breathtaking hyper-realistic paintings of landmarks in and around the city of Montego Bay,” Fowler said.

“The company deemed it a privilege to work with Duhaney on this project to pay homage to the men and women of the fire brigade and to give the younger generation an opportunity to appreciate the transformation that has been made in the brigade,” she said.

The painting of the old facility will be mounted inside the new four-storey building known as the Area 4 Regional Headquarters of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, which also houses the operations of the Montego Bay Fire Station.

Stewart Beckford, commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, lauded the consortium team at CARICS for the concept to preserve the memories of the place many firefighters called home as they served their country.

He described Duhaney’s painting as “an excellent piece of artwork”.

“It really gives a true reflection of the transformation that has taken place within the Montego Bay Fire Department and I am really pleased as commissioner,” Beckford said after receiving the painting. “I am going to ensure it is properly displayed so that the public can have access to it. And I really have to commend Mr Duhaney and the team for the work they did in the preservation of history,” he added.