Dear Editor,
When one is placed in a position of authority and takes to nurturing an over sensitiveness to criticisms of their performance, they must withdraw themselves from the position so as to open out an avenue for progress. All that can be derived in such a climate is personal gratification, and the individuals who exhibit these tendencies not only show the lack of foresight but more blatantly an arrogant outlook of station. I must make the point clear that I did not come into Guyana to make a living from the sale of my paintings – as the price range of my works is beyond reach of many. I came to Guyana at the invitation of the late Mrs. Janet Jagan with 650 paintings. My watercolours were enjoyed around the world and garnered me 250 important awards. My oil paintings are of superior quality, and the idea which was promoted by Mrs. Jagan was to have Guyana see these works and be inspired by what can be expected of the peoples of Guyana. To have all Guyanese who aspire in the discipline see and learn from my work – fitting and proving the old saying of showing what Guyana’s sons and daughters can be. Mrs. Jagan also then instructed the curator of the National Gallery to contact me with the purpose of having me send works to be shown at the gallery. But Mrs. Jagan is no longer with us, and it is a pity that her aspirations are no longer admired by the very people she placed into office. Preventing me from showing will not tarnish or diminish my accomplishments abroad, but it certainly will deprive would-be aspirants the opportunity of learning from my experiences. Why would anyone in good conscience take to depriving others the opportunity of learning? All the individuals who saw my showing at the Gallery in the year 2010 enquire as to when I intend to mount another show.
They are unaware of the fact that my response to an act perpetrated by and apologized for by the Gallery in late 2010 created a rift which caused me to be blacklisted. It appears that in Guyana if you displease the people in authority even when you are correct in your criticism they take to blacklisting you. I was told by the curator that professionalism is their major criterion in mounting shows at the Gallery when I used a telephone to contact her. But there seems to be a confusion… if professionalism is an issue, and an applicant sends five letters [3 by post and 2 delivered by my hand] requesting a showing and is not shown the courtesy of a single response of yes or no. Where then is the true aspect of professionalism?
Those who can learn from my experience, if they themselves are not fearful of repercussions, should voice their desire to see and learn from my works or visit the internet from where I will soon be sending my works to where they belong, abroad.
Yours faithfully,
Jorge Bowenforbes
