The Mississauga Arts Council (MAC) is pleased to introduce the Contemporary Jamaican Art Exhibit, circa1962 I circa2012, launching at the Art Gallery of Mississauga (300 City Centre Dr) on July 12, 2012 at 6 p.m. Admission is free. There will also be a bus from The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W., Toronto) at 6 p.m. to the Reception. Bus returns at 8 p.m. Award-winning multidisciplinary artist Peter Chin will be performing at the reception. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and based in Toronto, Chin is a musician/composer, dancer/choreographer, performance artist, designer and director. There will be a series of events scheduled every day throughout the summer, culminating on September 8, 2012. Produced by the Art Gallery of Mississauga,in collaboration with the Jamaica 50 Anniversary Committee and the Mississauga Arts Council, this event celebrates 50 years of Jamaica’s Independence and their contribution to Canada through people, arts, culture and heritage. On August 6, 1962, Jamaica became a nation and officially received its Independence from Britain. It is with an immense amount of pride that the Jamaican Diaspora in Canada joins with the island nation in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Independence. Under the Patronage of the Jamaican High Commissioner, Her Excellency, Sheila Sealy Monteith and Jamaican Consul General to Toronto, Seth George Ramoco with the Jamaica 50 Committee will unveil a summer of events in the areas of Art, Literature, Dance and Theatre, which will celebrate the island’s vibrant cultural heritage.

Above: Barrington Watson, Washer Women (1966), oil on canvas, 71 x 101 cm, NGJ Collection

The exhibition is curated by Executive Director Veerle Poupeye at the National Gallery of Jamaica. The exhibition explores changing ideas about art in Jamaica from the period from Independence in 1962 to the present day, placed in the context of broader developments in Jamaican culture and society. Poupeye has curated juxtaposing work that was produced by influential Jamaican artists in the period around Independence with groundbreaking national artists of the early 21st century. The exhibition presents a “then” and “now” view of Jamaican art.  To view the official Jamaica 50 media kit, please click here. For more information on the opening reception or any of the events leading up to September, please contact the Art Gallery of Mississauga at 905-896-5088, email stuart.keeler@mississauga.ca or visit www.artgalleryofmississauga.com or www.mississaugaartscouncil.com.   -30- Media Contact: Luiza SadowskiTel: 905-615-4212Email: media@mississaugaartscouncil.com