The recently concluded Art Exhibition “Echoes of Resilience – Standing Against Cultural Loss and Global Oppression” has been hailed as a major success and a big boost to the arts in Dominica. The exhibition which was a collaborative venture between the Waitukubuli Artists Association (WAA) and the Prevo Cinemall.

The Launching ceremony took place under the Bamboo Ajoupa in the courtyard of the Prevo Cinemall on Friday 6th December 2024 and its doors were officially opened to the public on Saturday 7th December 2024. The exhibition was housed in the Middle Passage Room and ran for 5 weeks from December 7th 2024 to January 10th 2025.

In addition to the many art pieces in varying styles by several of Dominica’s prominent artists, the exhibition included two nights of poetry organized in collaboration with Lyrics Under the Stars and two nights of panel discussions. The final curtain was dropped on the night of January 10th with a fiery panel discussion on the topic “From Gaza to Haiti – Understanding the world through Empire”, with panelists Dr. Lennox Honychurch and Mr. Lloyd Pascal, moderated by Michael Lees, president of WAA.

According to Ms. Vanessa Prevost, general manager of the Prevo Cinemall who herself holds a masters degree in World Heritage at Work from the University of Turin. “The Prevo Cinemall is itself a work of Art. It is the preservation of Old Carib Cinema, a Cultural Heritage built in the Art Deco Style by transforming it into this modern Shopping Mall with a modern cinema inside.

Committed to Culture
The Prevo Cinemall has been committed to supporting not only our built cultural heritage but also our natural and Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as art, poetry and story telling, culinary arts and Carnival both traditional and contemporary mass and calypso and as well as our Kalinago and Creole Traditions.

This Art Exhibition also part of the Prevo Cinemall’s 30th Anniversary celebrations to which all were invited to come , view the art, shop, eat and celebrate in the Prevo Cinemall.

Stated Ms. Prevost, “Prevo Cinemall will do it again”. She continued “We were really encouraged by the enthusiasm with which the artists embraced the offer from the Prevo Cinemall for hosting of the Art exhibition. The artists loved the space. They felt that the “Middle Passage” In the Prevo Cinemall was adequate in every respect for a grand exhibition. The Prevo Cinemall was conveniently located in the center of Roseau and the Middle Passage room allocated for the exhibition was spacious, secure and accessible from both the Courtyard entrance of the Mall on Kennedy Avenue and from the Cinema entrance on Old Street”

WAA did our Artists Proud
“The artists got to work in the space and the mounted a world class exhibition. It was just fantastic. Dominica’s Artists did themselves proud” said Ms. Prevost.

Great Public Support
Ms. Prevost lauded and thanked the public for its strong and appreciative support for all aspects of the exhibition. “The Dominica public supported the exhibition in their numbers. The launching was fully subscribed, the fringe events and the panel discussions were exciting and very well attended.” “The Prevo Cinemall’s hosting of “Echoes of Resilience – Standing Against Cultural Loss and Global Oppression”, was without a doubt, a great boost to the Art loving community of Dominica” said Ms. Prevost.

Prevo Cinemall wishes to extend its thanks to the artists, the poets, the panelists, and all the visitors to the exhibition for their support and our commendation to Ms. Pamela Clarke who made eight voyages to the exhibition on different days, spoke with some of the artists and shared the artists journeys with media.