Established local artists Marcia Jameson and Nancy Byrnes will be exhibiting their current paintings at Danica Art Gallery in Christiansted. The exhibit, entitled “We Two,” will have an opening reception from 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, at the Danica Gallery. Their works will be on display through March 12.
Marcia Jameson was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in the Bronx. As a youngster, she would collect anything she could get her hands on, such as cardboard boxes and window shades, to use for drawing and painting, sometimes copying the old masters from library books. Her formal art education began at City College of New York at the age of 17. She later attended Fashion Institute of New York and The School of Visual Arts, also in New York City. Jameson then became a partner in the Jones, James and Jameson Advertising Agency, which served to broaden her creative horizons even more.
She works in all mediums and has been exhibiting in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands for decades. She also freelanced as a graphic designer and illustrator, which included illustrating children’s books. She also designed several logos for local organizations such as, The St. Croix Women’s Coalition and The Energy Office, among others. Jameson conducted arts and crafts/occupational therapy at The Village, a drug rehabilitation facility, and The Clubhouse, a day hospital unit with the Division of Mental Health, realizing another application of her artistic skills.
She said, “I think that my art reflects the influences of a vibrant Caribbean ambiance that speaks to my Barbadian roots, as does the beauty of my beloved island of St. Croix. I believe that there is no greater reward to an artist than to touch someone’s creative spirit with their work.”
Nancy Byrnes maintains homes on St. Croix and in Connecticut. She is a 1965 graduate of the University of Connecticut with a BFA in art. Before raising her family, she taught high school art in Bristol, Conn. She has been painting professionally for over 40 years and has been represented in five Caribbean Museum Center Calendars. Her works are part of many private collections in the Virgin Islands, as well as in the states.
In 2009, Byrnes was selected as the poster artist for the Good Hope School’s annual art exhibit. Her painting, "Bertha’s Bananas," now hangs in a private collection. Painting in vivid colors with quick strokes is her way of portraying the vitality of St. Croix, the people, the flora and fauna of the island and the activities of the inhabitants.
For more information, call 719-6000. The gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
I own the painting on the left which I bought at the Danica Gallery. I love it!