Edwin Smith, Deputy Chair of the Bermuda Arts Council, today led participants through the second instalment of The Bermuda National Gallery’s Art & Value of Your Stories program.

Drawing a parallel between historical paintings of Bermuda and people’s experiences of life on the island, the program explores personal storytelling as a catalyst for wellness and transformation.

The group is being guided in writing their own stories through interactions with artworks in the gallery’s collection. Once complete, these will be shared with the community and recorded in the authors’ own voices, to be preserved within the archives of the National Library, The Bermuda College Library and The Bermuda National Gallery.

Sparked by a collaboration with The Bermuda College’s Lifelong Learners Digital Storytelling program, the initiative aims to encourage people to bring their own experiences to the artworks within the gallery, whilst enriching the patchwork of Bermuda’s rich cultural history.

Dr Smith, a Bermudian artist and lifelong arts educator, led participants through a guided study of three key works in the David L. White collection: Prosper Senat’s Bermuda, 1907; Ferry dock Saint Georges, 1940, by Reynolds Beal and Donkey and Cart by Clark Greenwood Voorhees, c. 1925.

Noting that each of the American artists brought his own perspective to his interpretation of the Bermuda landscape, Dr Smith urged each participant to write in their own voice, bringing their own personal history to their stories of life in Bermuda.

Encouraging attendees to build a story on small details, Smith remarked: “They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this instance, I would like a thousand words to be worthy of a picture.”

Robert Horton, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee at the Bermuda College’s Lifelong Learning Centre, will lead the final workshop on the 26th November. Following this, a date will be set for the participants to present their stories to the community.

The Art and Value of your Stories workshops are made possible by a Cultural Legacy Fund Grant from the Dept of Community and Cultural Affairs

Dr Edwin Smith is Senior Lecturer in Art & Design at The Bermuda College.

For further information please contact Dany Pen, The Bermuda National Gallery’s education officer at education@bng.bm or on 295 9428.

• Press release from the Bermuda National Gallery