Against a growing push to strengthen creative connections across Caribbean island communities, curators Susan Mains and Asher Mains have launched the 9th Grenada Contemporary initiative, a community-focused arts program designed to give local Grenadian artists access to immersive, collaborative skill-building opportunities with creators from neighboring islands.
The centerpiece of this year’s program is a four-day intensive painting workshop led by veteran Trinidadian artist Edward Bowen, set to run from September 8 to 11, 5 PM to 8 PM daily at the Art House 473 venue located in Calliste, St. George. Bowen has framed the workshop as a deep experimental exploration of painterly practice, spanning a total of 9 to 10 contact hours over the four-day run. Participants will dive into hands-on work with a range of materials including ink, acrylic, and collage, while integrating personal memory and conceptual thinking to create new work. The workshop is structured to leverage both individual creative energy and group collaboration to help artists push past familiar boundaries and develop entirely original visual narratives and styles. Uniquely, the opportunity is open to creatives at all skill levels, from absolute beginners taking their first steps in painting to established professional artists looking to refresh their practice.
Following the conclusion of the workshop, the program will continue on September 12 with a special free screening of *Fortune For All*, a feature-length narrative film directed by Trinidadian filmmaker Dr. Yao Ramesar. The 70-minute drama, rated 16+, centers on the fractured Fortune family, offering a nuanced, intimate portrait of Caribbean middle class life that centers the unique cadence and cultural richness of regional Caribbean language. The film’s plot unfolds around a series of devastating losses that draw estranged siblings back together: when the eldest Fortune sibling passes away, the remaining family members gather at their ancestral coastal estate for a period of isolation and bereavement, while their grieving mother stays behind at the family’s nearby farm. Each sibling carries their own unresolved struggles: Addo Fortune, already reeling from the earlier loss of his father and fiancée, has spent years stuck trying to finish his second novel. Kessie Fortune, the youngest sister and a rising star in the legal field, navigates the tension between her demanding professional career and personal life, while working to mediate ongoing conflict between her warring brothers. The youngest sibling, Adom Fortune, is in the middle of his first political campaign, fighting to manage public fallout from allegations made by his soon-to-be ex-wife and the resulting media firestorm. Through the quiet, charged days of their shared bereavement, the film unpacks long-silenced rifts and shared family history.
Both events are available to attend entirely free of charge, made possible through financial and in-kind sponsorship from three local partners: the Susan Mains Gallery, Blue Horizons Garden Resort, and Art House 473. Interested attendees must complete pre-registration to secure a spot. Registration for Edward Bowen’s painting workshop can be completed through the Art House 473 website at https://arthouse473.org/9th-grenada-contemporary-islands-in-dialogue/, while registration for the *Fortune For All* screening is available at https://arthouse473.org/9th-grenada-contemporary-yao-ramesar/.