The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) and Walkers are pleased to announce the continuing sponsorship of six Walkers’ Art Clubs, which include a pre-school drop-in group, a primary after school club, a secondary after school club, an exam prep club for teens, an after school club in Cayman Brac, and an art club for children with learning difficulties.

“We are delighted to make this donation in our continued support of the Walkers’ Art Clubs in conjunction with the National Gallery,” said Andrew Miller – partner at Walkers. “Sponsoring art and educational opportunities for children represents a major part of our overall community efforts and it has been wonderful to see the kids from schools all over the Island interact with each other in such a creative manner.”

Walkers has kindly supported NGCI for over a decade through community initiatives such as Art@Governors and Chalkfest before more recently shifting focus to arts education programmes for students with a passion for the arts. The Children and the Arts Programme for primary and secondary students initially began in 2003 and grew into the Walkers’ Art Club in 2005. In 2012 the programme expanded even further to include after-school classes in Cayman Brac and a teen club for exam-level art students to aid in their preparations for art and design examinations. In 2013 the programme added a class designed for children with learning difficulties.

The six NGCI Walkers’ Art Club programmes run weekly at the National Gallery’s Susan A. Olde Art Studio and follow the school terms. The Walkers Charitable Foundation, a community-funding arm of Walkers, directly sponsors the programmes. NGCI Director, Natalie Urquhart, comments, “We are thrilled that The Walkers Charitable Foundation is once again to sponsoring the Walkers’ Art Clubs. We believe that art is integral to the academic development of our children and this programme allows children of all ages, from preschool through high school, the opportunity to participate in a free comprehensive art class led by professional instructors.” She adds, “At NGCI we know that art builds creative expression, self-esteem, and self-discovery, and with the generous support from Walkers, we are able to provide quality art programmes to fit the needs of our growing community and supplement the development of our young artists.”

At Walkers’ Art Clubs students are encouraged to make friends with children from all walks of life and outside the usual group of schoolmates they interact with daily. Each group project supports group work between participants, and they are encouraged to appreciate the individuality of others whilst learning the value of their own uniqueness. Through hands-on instruction and an adequate amount of space given to students to experiment with foundational art principles, children learn technique, art history, and self-confidence.

For more information about the Walkers’ Art Club contact the National Gallery at (345) 945 8111 or email [email protected].

Photo captions:

From left, Kerwin Ebanks NGCI Education Coordinator, Natalie Urquhart NGCI Director and Andrew Miller Walkers Partner

Gabriella Watson a member of the Walkers Art Club takes part in a painting exercise