Grand Cayman (GIS) – Winners have been named in the National Gallery, Cayman Islands Government collaborated online photo exhibition that explored the COVID-19 lockdown’s impact on the community.

            The top three scorers in the three main categories: Family/Time Indoors; Nature and Outdoor Time as well as Community were selected from 72 entrants. Only a few points separated the top three in each category of the competition.

            The entire exhibit, including the top scorers, can be viewed on the Gallery website at www.nationalgallery.org.ky in the exhibitions section.

            In the Family/Time Indoors category, which attracted 22 entries, top scorers were:

1. Maggie Jackson with Feeling a Little Upside Down;

2. Jim Gates with Kai; and

3. Ayanna Dacres with New Perspective.

            In the Nature and Outdoor Time category, which received a total of 26 entries, the top scorers were:

1. Lisa Reid with Our Street, Our Bubble;

2. Heather Holt with Beyond Blue; and

3. Shane Nobee Edwards with Evening Fishing on Coxin Bank.      

In the last category Community, which had 24 entries, the top three were:

1. Claire Birchall/Graziela Portela with #stayhomeCayman;

2. Tony Walton with Disconnection; and

3. E. Lennon Christian with Sunrise Service.

            Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Hon. Franz Manderson said, “My warm congratulations to all who took part in this creative and meaningful look at how we as a community fared in 2020 to the rigours of life dictated by a pandemic. Together we faced many challenges which called for many sacrifices. Yet the year has proved we are a strong, resilient community.

“My kudos to the winners and also all who participated.”

            The Deputy Governor continued, “My congrats also go the National Gallery for providing a conduit for our community members to place their individual experiences into perspective. and share these with the wider community. Plaudits all round!”

            “A year on, some of the changes we had to make have become our new normal. And, while we are still working through challenges, we are in a far better position than many other places. A growing portion of our population is being vaccinated and we can look forward to the reopening of our borders.”

The Deputy Governor encouraged all to “take a few moments to look back at our time during and immediately after our COVID lockdown.” He added, “I hope the images in this collection will remind us of the reasons we have to be grateful and to celebrate.”

            Cabinet Secretary Mr. Samuel Rose, whose portfolio includes the Department of Communications, said: “The calibre of the entries was simultaneously a testament to the strength and the ability of our community members to rise to the occasion. We are pleased to support this special exhibit which transcends policy and regulations and connects our community to the personal stories of the COVID lockdown.”

            Gallery Director Ms Natalie Urquhart commented, “The personal photographs submitted by individuals in our community form an invaluable record of how deeply the COVID-19 pandemic affected our people as they met the new challenges that threw lives into disarray. We in the National Gallery thank all the participating photographers for sharing vignettes of their experiences dealing with this relentless global pandemic.”

            She added, “Thanks are extended to the exhibition jurors: Alanis Linwood, Suzette Hislop, Jennifer Ahearn, Wil Bignal and Justin Uzzell.”

                Featured photographers were Claire Birchall, Lennon Christian, Lisa Collins, Julie Corsetti, Ayana Dacres, Mariasol Danziger, Thaís de Souza, Ryan Carlo J. Dumaguing, Al Ebanks, Sheree Ebanks, Shane Nobee Edwards, Jim Gates, Svitlana Gilyun, Cassandra Greene, Francis Guevarra, Heather Holt, Christopher Humphries, Joanna Humphries, Maggie Jackson, Paige Jordison, Whippet McCallum, Destinie McField, David McGibbon, Bridget McPartland, Heather Meinen, Tiyen Miller, Phillippa Miller, Jenna Nicholson, Alysha Pearson, Lori Peterson, Kaiman Photo (Kris), Nikole Poirier, Graziela Portela, Rebecca Raige, Lisa Reid, Elizabeth Riley, Dione Scotland Rivero, Brandee Romanica, Simone Scott, Tricia Sybersma, Davina Valaydon, Michaela Walker, Tony Walton.

               For more details and viewing the exhibit, visit the National Gallery website.

Photo captions:

1. Feeling a Little Upside Down by Maggie Jackson

2. Our Street, Our Bubble by Lisa Reid

3. #stayhomeCayman by Claire Birchall and Graziela Portela