A NEW exhibit commemorating Bermuda's art and artists has opened at the Masterworks Foundation Gallery in Paget.

The Local Seen, now on display at the Arrowroot Factory in the Botanical Gardens, is a showcase of works by many of the artists who have participated in the gallery's Artists Up Front . . . Street programme.

Visitors have the opportunity to look at gifted works by Charles Lloyd Tucker, Vernon Clarke, Manuel Palacio, Dan Dempster, Sharon Wilson, Kate and Ethel Tucker and others.

The result is a mix of media that complements - watercolours, photographs, acrylics - and highlights the diversity of Bermuda's artists. In addition, snippets on various artists - displayed as wall texts - have been included to make the event more informative.

"A lot of the work that's on display here are gifts of the artists to the Foundation through the programme of Artists Up Front . . . Street which is in its ninth year," explained Masterworks director Tom Butterfield.

"Over the course of the past 16 years, Masterworks has encouraged and applauded the strength and versatility of talented Bermuda artists. It is not mandatory that the artists give a piece of art, we just ask if they would consider it.

"And very kindly, many, many have done as a way of saying thank you to the Foundation for putting on their show. We're grateful for the gifts that we have received because they continue to enhance our developing collection and (contribute) to a growth of the arts by the local artists in that collection.

"If you look at the range of diversity, it's quite staggering. I mean, if you look at (the painting by) Charles Zuill, a mixed media - there's volcanic ash, most of us don't even realise that Bermuda has volcanic ash but you could go and scoop it up by the shovel full if you wanted - there's Betsy Mulderig's Flight of Fancy, a more whimsical work.

"There's a lot of diversity here. The variety of media, styles and subject matter only underscore the rich inspiration Bermuda offers its contemporary artists.

"While the Botanical Gardens is under restoration, we will continue to rotate the artwork of local artists in our collection as a way of our saying thanks to the artists. We'll keep this up for two months but what we might do is take one or two pieces down and put one or two pieces up in their place; not change it en masse, but replace them bit by bit so there's always some change to the exhibition."

The exhibit is especially appropriate with Heritage Month soon under way and the tourism season about to kick off, added Elise Outerbidge, the gallery's assistant director.

"(Kate and Ethel) Tucker were suffragettes, women's rights artists and probably the first artists in Bermuda to take their talent and use it commercially," she said. "They made (their paintings) into postcards and calendars and things; they ran a real commercial business.

"It's an interesting story. They were told they couldn't advertise but they figured that if the Yacht Club had an ensign, they could fly a 'T' over their shop.

"Without (the influence of those early forerunners) you wouldn't have a lot of artists that we see today; you wouldn't have the art scene that you have now. Charles Lloyd Tucker, for instance, influenced everybody - (Premier) Jennifer Smith, Vernon Clarke, Sharon Wilson, Charles Zuill. What we hope is that eventually every artist we have in our collection will be on view.

"Many tourists come to the island looking for local artwork; they want to know where they can find the paintings of local artists.

"Once we get them into the Botanical Gardens, we have a captive audience and so we're really trying to work on the wall text (which gives a little background to some of the artists exhibited) to make it more interesting, to make it a real story.

"The Bermuda art scene is still developing - by leaps and bounds - and this is a little snapshot of where we stand right now, although it certainly isn't everything we have in our collection."

q For more information on The Local Seen, contact Masterworks at 236-2950.