More than 150 artists took part in Cayman Art Week this year, many exhibiting their work for the first time. With art on show at 42 venues across all three Cayman Islands, and with a large turnout at events and record numbers on bus tours, Cayman Art Week is testament that the art scene in Cayman is thriving.
According to the Chairman of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, Carl Brown, Cayman is currently undergoing an art renaissance. Speaking to more than 300 artists, collectors and guests at Cayman Art Week’s launch party, co-hosted with the National Gallery on 22 May, Brown said,
“We’re experiencing a renaissance of art in the Cayman Islands. Back In the 1980s we were busy building our country to make it an economic giant and then we remembered we needed our soul. Our soul is exhibited right here today.”
Cayman Art Week showcased the breadth of artistic talent within the community, from painting and sculpture to collaborations with fashion, dance and music, and from well-known names to emerging new talent.
The Hub Gallery pop-up exhibition in Camana Bay, which transformed a former bank into a temporary gallery with three shows, presented more than 45 artists and photographers, while Island House in George Town gave a platform to emerging artists. Permanent galleries that represent multiple local artists include the Kennedy Gallery and Carlos V. Garcia Gallery on West Bay Road and Pure Art in South Sound.
Artists staging solo exhibitions for Cayman Art Week included Cera-Tan Kennaird at Quinntessential Movement studio and Iain MacRae at Gram Bellas in North Side. Other artists such as Renate Seffer, Charles Long and Scott Swing opened their studios for Cayman Art Week.
“It’s exciting to see such creativity and variety on display, and even more exciting to see so many red dots marking the works as sold,” said Natalie Urquhart, founder and creative director of Cayman Art Week. “The primary goal of Cayman Art Week is to grow the commercial art market in Cayman so that more young artists can make a career in the creative industries.”
There is no charge for artists or galleries to participate in Cayman Art Week, and all events are free and open to the public, thanks to the support and generosity of Cayman Art Week’s Patron Mrs Susan A. Olde and lead partners at George Town Revitalisation, the Ministry of Tourism & Ports and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, together with support from the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport & Development, the Ministry of Border Control, Labour and Culture, the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Heritage and Camana Bay.
Information about all participating artists and venues is available year-round on the Cayman Art Week website caymanartweek.com.
Cayman Art Week will take place 20-25 May 2025.