By: Melanie Reffes: KINGSTON, Jamaica – Following his dream, Wayne Gallimore is on an adventure of a lifetime. A self-described risk-taker and art lover who bought his first sculpture when he was a teenager, Gallimore gave up the nine-to-five in the computer industry in Miami and Toronto and followed his heart to the world of art. “I was concerned that I would go to a Jamaican hotel and the only works of art were imported.” he says touring a buyer through his gallery.
From his home and gallery in Gordon Town at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the 48 year old champion of Caribbean art launched Jamagination in 2005 – a one-stop shopping experience supporting the richness of Island creativity. “Our motto, Out of many, One People, reflects our diverse heritage,” he says as the birds flit from one tree to the other outside his living room window.
From his gallery in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Wayne Gallimore represents a cadre of 30 Jamaican artists.
Photo by: M. Reffes
Targeting the hip professional crowd, Jamagination signed a ground-breaking contract to operate a gallery at the Sunset Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios. Also exhibiting at Round Hill and Tryall in Montego Bay, Jamagination is setting up additional gallery space in Kingston, Negril and Montego Bay.
Primarily a virtual gallery representing a cadre of 30 artists, Jamagination carries originals and artist-certified prints. Using high-resolution Giclee technology on canvas or paper with pigment-based lightfast inks that produce smooth color transitions instead of the dots generated from desktop printers, the prints are museum- quality rivaling the originals even to the discerning eye.
With his parents, Gifford and Joy Gallimore, in South Florida and a son and sisters in Toronto, Gallimore’s priority is encouraging North American interest in Jamaican art. “Our artists are increasingly exhibited internationally,” he smiles surveying the many treasures lining the walls of his home. From Christopher Gonzales, the artist who designed the Bob Marley monument to Nakazzi Hutchinson, one of Edna Manley’s most prolific graduates, Jamagination also represents acclaimed painter Bryan MacFarlane, surrealist Pat Lee, American-born and nature-inspired Amy Laskin and Alexander Cooper, the first Jamaican to exhibit at the U.S. State Department and whose work is enjoyed by Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Angela Bassett.
Always on the lookout for emerging talent, Gallimore finds personal satisfaction in discovering those he calls ‘intuitive artists’. “I go on scouting missions in the hills and countryside to find artists who without formal training create masterpieces,” says the St. Andrew-born father of five.
In Pen Lyne Castle in the Blue Mountains, sculptor and painter Joseph Richards is one of those artists. Working in a tiny house next to his four acre coffee farm, the 63 year old artist creates works that are now appreciated by collectors in the United States and the Caribbean.
Working in a tiny house next to his four acre coffee farm in Pen Lyne Castle, Joseph Richards creates works of art that are appreciated by collectors in the United States and the Caribbean.
Photo by: M. Reffes
“I use one of the hardest and heaviest woods in Jamaica called Lignum Vitae then I polish the sculptures with engine oil to give them sheen,” he smiles as he shows Gallimore his meticulously carved work with the infinite detail that is his artistic trademark.
In addition to the services provided via the web or in hotels, Gallimore offers a personal touch by determining his clients’ tastes and then scouring for art and delivering to their home or office. Gallimore recognizes the value of networking and with his keen eye and bountiful charisma; all bets are on his success. “Ever since the Internet opened up the global marketplace, it has become imperative for any business and Jamaican businesses in particular, to be competitive on an international level.”
And as Jamaica is the birthplace of a large Diaspora population in South Florida, there is keen interest in supporting the artistic community of the Island. “Brand Jamaica is very popular now in terms of music, food and fashion,” Gallimore says with infectious zeal and mega-watt smile, “I’m confident our art will reach the same impressive levels worldwide.”
Visit the gallery on-line, www.jamagination.com.jm.
