To complement the enchanting evening, artwork by local artists will grace the scene, including original works by famous Bahamian painter, Eddie Minnis, who will be flying in from Eleuthera for this special event.
“[Organisers for this event] indicated that it (Festival Noel) would be a fine venue for me to show my work along with other artists,” said Mr. Minnis, who resides between the settlements of Lower Bogue and Current, with his wife, Sherry. “I look forward to coming to Freeport to meet some of my art patrons and I feel this experience will widen my horizons.”
Festival Noel organisers are thrilled and pleased to have Mr. Minnis as the featured artist of the evening. Although it has been years since Mr. Minnis has exhibited in Grand Bahama, admirers and art lovers can still appreciate the timeless quality of his pieces, which includes native scenes from Exuma, Cat Island and Nassau.
Mr. Minnis hopes to showcase about eight to 10 of these recent works in oil, which features his distinguishing palette knife technique resulting in paintings with “good textures and clean colours.”Mr. Minnis, a self-taught artist, has been using this technique since 1965 and his paintings have been described as “strikingly three dimensional in appearance” and “vibrates with the bright, colour and light of The Bahamas.”
Born on October 14, 1947, Mr. Minnis attended St. John’s College and the Government High School in Nassau. In 1971, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. However, Mr. Minnis’ first love was (and still is) painting, so he decided to pursue a career in art instead.
Over the years, he has participated in a number of group shows and also one-man shows in 1969, ’72, ’76 and ’86 respectively. His works are in private collections locally and abroad in the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and Korea. In addition to his paintings, Mr. Minnis’ love for the arts extends to the field of music as an accomplished singer and songwriter, with 11 Calypso albums to his credit.
Mr. and Mrs. Minnis have three children: Nicole, Roshanne and Ward, who have followed in their father’s footsteps as artists, and according to him, there are plans to have a family show late next year in Nassau. Mr. Minnis also hopes to participate in a group show early next year at the Briland Brush Strokes Gallery in Harbour Island.
But for now, residents of Grand Bahama can enjoy his wonderful artwork and speak with the artist himself at one of the island’s most favourite events of the holiday season.
Festival Noel, which has increased in size each year, will feature a wide variety of wine and champagne, courtesy of Bristol Cellars, culinary delights from several prominent restaurants, and a surprise event to cap off the evening. Co-sponsors of the event, Freeport Advertising and Printing, CEI, and Grand Bahama’s very own Cool 96, along with the Bahamas National Trust Members and volunteers are busy preparing to make this a night to remember.
Tickets for this spectacular affair are $45 and can be purchased at Bristol Cellars, the Rand Nature Centre, the Garden of the Groves, Bahama Coin & Stamp and Barefoot Marketing. For more information, please call 352-5438.
