International Reggae Poster Contest closes exhibition in Jamaica with charity auction for Alpha Boys School

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Celebrity entertainment, great music, an exciting atmosphere and competitive bidding on reggae posters for a great cause made for an extremely successful charity auction on Sunday at the National Gallery of Jamaica to benefit Alpha Boys School.

Consisting of limited edition prints of the top 50 posters from the First International Reggae Poster Contest as well as special contributions from jury members and renowned poster designers, the auction drew fans of Jamaican music and culture, art aficionados and Alpha supporters for an afternoon of good-natured competition.

Although an event of this sort had never been attempted before, auctioneer Douglas Reid of the Grosvenor Galleries in Kingston kept the vibes moving and directed an exciting auction in which many posters surpassed their estimated values.

Going once…
Prior to the auction getting underway, Bunny Rugs, lead singer of 10-time Grammy nominee Third World, treated the crowd to two songs from, Time, his critically acclaimed new album, DJ Afifa and Baye Beluchi provided crucial real time musical and lyrical commentary and members of the Alpha Boys Band blessed the place with a handful of specially selected songs to launch the event.

Adding to the unique format, celebrity auctioneer Bunny Rugs joined Douglas Reid for the sale of Luba Lukova‘s special poster contribution featuring Sister Ignatius. With Bunny Rugs providing color commentary, back-and-forth bidding between a number of interested parties reached a crescendo until the buyer was identified which sparked a long moment of spontaneous applause.

Going twice…
Posters that were not sold on Sunday and others from the top 100 that were held back will be put up for auction via eBay in February when Jamaica celebrates Reggae Month. In this way, art and music fans as well as Alpha supporters abroad may participate and take home a unique work of art.

Going three times…
Auction organizers send special thanks to the auctioneer Douglas Reid, DJ Afifa, Baye Beluchi and Bunny Rugs as well as Market Me JA and the auction sponsors: WISYNCO, Caribbean Producers of Jamaica, Caribbean Broilers, Elite Kreations, Blackwell Rum, Scotia Bank and Griot Music.

Pauletta Jones, Administrator of Alpha Boys School, put the auction in perspective. “We really had no idea what to expect but at the end of the day the whole effort surpassed our expectations. Not only is the financial assistance important right now but between the poster contest, poster exhibition and auction, Alpha is blessed to be introduced to the visual arts in this way and we’re excited to build on these wonderful relationships and opportunities.”

Alpha opened its doors in 1890 and quickly became known locally and abroad for its music program which leaves a legacy including dozens of jazz, ska, reggae and dancehall pioneers. The school is now also exploring the visual arts as a way to meet its mission of providing an education and opportunities for the boys in its care. Alpha students, for example, are now participating in the Saturday art program hosted at the National Gallery and the school is exploring ways to share more arts-related experiences with Alpha’s entire student population.

Director of the National Gallery of Jamaica, Dr Veerle Poupeye, points to a growing appreciation for contemporary visual art at large in explaining the success of the charity auction.
“I’m extremely pleased we were able to contribute to such a successful milestone. The ‘World A Reggae’ exhibition here at the gallery and the auction drew great response from the public and press so I see lots of potential in this area going forward”.

Posters that were not sold on Sunday and others from the top 100 that were held back will be put up for auction via eBay in February when Jamaica celebrates Reggae Month. In this way, art and music fans as well as Alpha supporters abroad may participate and take home a unique work of art.

International Reggae Poster Contest founder Michael Thompson expressed great satisfaction with the vision he had set out in late 2011 coming full circle in 2012. “The idea for the First International Reggae Poster Contest was to generate an international discussion about the importance of reggae culture in Jamaica and abroad. Alpha Boys School, one of Jamaica and the music’s greatest success stories, was an ideal partner in this effort. Both I and my co-founder Maria Papaefstathiou are proud that the plan we set out has been realized and especially to know that strong relationships have been put in place with which we all can grow into the future.”