The temporary art space, The Gallery, and the Reflexion exhibition by Oliver Benoit, PhD in the St Paul’s Community Centre, welcome Dr Adrian Augier, Economic Development Consultant and award-winning Poet, Producer, and Carnival Designer from St Lucia.
On Tuesday, 12 March, Dr Augier will present a discussion on “The Role of Media in Reporting on the Visual Arts in the OECS: Is the depth of analysis adequate?” at The Gallery in the St Paul’s Community Centre from 6 pm-8 pm.
Dr Augier has served as Chief Economist in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and as Economic Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of St Lucia, establishing the Office of Private Sector Relations (OPSR) and designing and implementing the country’s first Private Sector Development Strategy.
He also served as Deputy National Authorising Officer for his country’s grant assistance portfolio with the European Union. He was the architect and first Secretary General of St Lucia’s National Economic Council, later served as Chair of the National Vision Commission, and is a former Executive Director and Vice President of the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, an institution he helped transform during his 5-year tenure.
Dr Augier is also an award-winning poet, producer, and carnival designer and an avid advocate for the closer integration of art and creative industry into mainstream economic development. He founded the St Lucia Arts Festival Company, producers of the KALALU World Music Festival and the WordAlive International Literary Festival. His many stage productions include BridgeMaker (London, 2003), Navel String, which premiered at the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture (Dakar, Senegal, 2010), and AFOLABÉ (Taipei, Taiwan, 2019). He holds the prestigious NDATT Caribbean Award (2009) for his contribution to the development of Caribbean Theatre and is Saint Lucia’s first Caribbean Laureate of Arts and Letters. Other awards include the St Lucia Medal of Merit (gold), Service Exporter of the Year (2009) and Entrepreneur of the Year (2010).
In 2012, Augier was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of the West Indies (UWI) for his contributions to Development, Culture and the Arts.
The Gallery is intended to bring a unique and enriching experience to the community by showcasing the vibrant world of abstract art. Reflexion is a retrospective exhibition of 30 years of artworks created by Grenadian abstract artist Oliver Benoit. Through this event, the organisers underscore the profound importance of art in society, serving as a documentation of collective Grenadian and Caribbean history, an avenue for artistic achievement, and a vivid display of our national aesthetics and culture. It is organized to coincide with Grenada’s Jubilee Independence anniversary celebrations and an opportunity to stimulate essential conversations regarding the arts in our societal evolution after 50 years of independence.
Upcoming Evening Talks at The Gallery in St Paul’s Community Centre from 6–8 pm are:
14th March: Dr Adrian Augier and Cecil Noel — “An Examination of the art in Carnival looking in particular at Comancheros Mas Band over the last 50 years.”
19th March: Dr Yvonne Weekes — “The Role of Art in Education over the last 50 years in the OECS”
These events are open to the public. All are invited to view the exhibition and participate in the discussions.
The Gallery
Hopefully you will maximise the role of media in highlighting and showcasing your Grenadian history, across all media channels print, television, radio, audio-visual, mixed media and online.
Have a great event and celebration.