Cayman Traditional Arts has again joined forces with The Gallery at The Ritz-Carlton to showcase some sizzling summer art. This time the remit was an ambitious one – 101 pieces of artwork that reflect the artists’ interpretation of summer time.

This latest exhibition at The Ritz-Carlton’s Gallery that straddles the West Bay Road is a wonderfully exciting and exhilarating start to an incredible collection of art work that showcases 27 artists, many of whom are exhibiting multiple pieces of work. Newcomers to The Ritz-Carlton exhibition include Allister Clarke, Jim Hellemn, Bethany Tomkins, Aaron Reberchek (all photography) and Megan Compton, Kerwin Ebanks, Michelle Bower, Simone Scott and Deborah Brookes-Mangan in fine art.

Continuing down the length of the Gallery, Alta Solomon’s photography is a vision of orange, pink, yellow and green. Alta, a well-known poet and artist on island (married to artist Gordon) has produced some incredible super-saturated pieces that focus on fruit and floral close-ups, creating fresh and crisp photographs that are visually exciting and lively.

Jim Hellemn has produced photographs that are out-of-this world, stitching special high resolution underwater images together to create a collection of unique pieces that has viewers believing they are in the middle of a dive, so crystal clear are the images. His photography of Bloody Bay Wall on display at the Summer 101 exhibition was the basis for the spectacular mosaic at the Observation Tower in Camana Bay. You really have to see this to believe it. 

Allister Clark is another photographer whose work is newly on display at Summer 101. Ally layers texture that builds up in his photos (Cayman Fusion and Seven Miles of Sunset), creating moody almost ethereal pieces that are evocative of that uniquely special time of day in Cayman, just as the sun sets and the sky is ablaze with colour.

Three well-established artists in Cayman, namely Chris Christian, Al Ebanks and Mike Seffer, have included ultra large pieces of artwork in the Summer 101 collection and each displays the artists’ unique talents. Mike uses his love of resin to great effect, creating an unmistakable and contemporary design, while Al Ebanks goes bold, backing his forceful statement with four smaller canvases, each with its own forceful colour palette to intrigue the viewer. Chris also enjoys more of a contemporary feel to his work, creating rhythms and patterns taken straight out of nature.

Nancy Davey has delighted viewers with her one-of-a-kind intricate glass works, an incredibly labour-intensive practice that first involves sketching out drawings that she will then create art deco glass pieces, cutting each piece of glass separately. The end result is stunningly beautiful, especially when the daylight filters through, serving to enhance the bright colours of the pieces.

One particular piece is an homage to Chris Christian’s painting, Saltwater Cowboys, with iconic figures on a catboat out at sea. Nancy manages to capture in glass the spirit
and energy. 

Summer 101 is a collection of 101 art pieces at The Gallery of The Ritz-Carlton that capture that summer feeling. The exhibition runs until 8th November and includes photography on canvas and aluminium, watercolour, acrylic and oil paintings, pen and ink drawings, stained glass work, and mixed media compositions. All the art work is for sale.

An exhibition of children’s art work will be shown simultaneously until November. This art work will not be for sale.