Bermuda: Two centuries of Inspiration, BSOA Gallery, City Hall, Hamilton.

*** Back in 1986 the Masterworks Foundation set out to create a body of art which took its inspiration from Bermuda.

Some 14 years later there now exists what must be the most comprehensive, rich and diverse collection of Bermudiana in the world, spanning more than 200 years and featuring such renowned artists as Reynolds Beal, Ogden Pleissner and Winslow Homer, along with lesser names who came to these islands from all over the world.

Displayed chronologically, this show, which features some 50 or so hand-picked gems from Masterworks' extensive collection, kicks off with a recently acquired and restored `View of St. George's' by Thomas Driver, painted in 1821.

The visitor is then led on a magical tour, a pictorial history both of Bermuda itself and the development of western art through the centuries, taking us right up to the present -- or almost -- with Michael Frith's `Somerset Bridge', painted in 1997.

Not surprisingly the BSOA gallery was packed to the gills last Thursday evening, the opening night of this exhibition. This is perhaps testament to two things. Firstly, Bermuda itself which has proved an alluring haven for artists drawn here by the Island's natural beauty, startling light and idyllic views. No wonder so many painters have found it an inspirational place over the years.

But herein lies an interesting paradox. While painters from distant shores have been drawn here, there is scant evidence in this show that native Bermudians were ever inspired to pick up a brush and put paint to canvas. With the exception of a number of Tuckers working in the first half of the last century the Masterworks collection, and indeed this exhibition, comprises work of mainly American, Canadian and a handful of European painters.

Thankfully this has now changed and Masterworks is now building a strong contemporary collection featuring indigenous artists, as well as promoting their work through a series of individual exhibitions. Nevertheless, it does beg the question why there is a lack of any visible local talent working in earlier times.

The packed gallery on Thursday night is testament to another Bermudian phenomenon - that of the Masterworks Foundation itself, which has worked tirelessly throughout the years to promote the Island's artistic heritage. The fact that such an organisation has flourished in its own short history and has received wide backing from a cross section of the community augers well for Bermuda's artistic future.

Sadly this exhibition is on display only until next week, before it takes to the road and is displayed in galleries in Philadelphia and New York -- another testament to the influence and interest that this small group of Islands can exert all over the world.

Messing about on the water: `Dinghy Racing', painted at the turn of the last century by an unknown artist, is just one of the many paintings on display at City Hall.

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