“Narrative Evolutions”- the way forward part 2

In the first part of this commentary, I reported that I was promised information on the Narrative Evolutions exhibition which had recently opened at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ). More than a week later, I have still not heard from the NGJ, and have to assume that the information will not be forthcoming. The NGJ has, however, issued an advisory that the Art of Reggae exhibition, which has been on view in the central gallery downstairs since February, has been extended for another month, until 1 July. I cannot imagine that there  is significant demand for such an extension and it may just be that nothing else is ready to take its place.

Things do not appear to be any better at National Gallery West (NGW) in Montego Bay. A small exhibition of work by the late intuitive artist Albert Artwell opened some time in November last year. It is ambitiously titled Reimagination: The Works of Albert Artwell (there is a striking disconnect between the titles and the substance of NGJ exhibitions these days). There have been no public events attached to this exhibition, and there is, as yet, no accompanying catalogue. The NGW merely announced, a few weeks after its effective start, that the exhibition was “now available for viewing” and would continue until May of this year, another instance of a needlessly long exhibition run. I was told in response to an email query that the exhibition is still open, but no new closing date was communicated nor was I told of any other plans for the year, even though I expressly asked. I was merely advised to follow NGW’s social media for further information.

These responses, or the lack thereof, suggest that there are significant problems behind the scenes, including poor planning and communication practices, and staff capacity issues. Given the deplorable state in which the NGJ appears to be, identifying exactly what happened and who is collectively and individually responsible for the current debacle will be necessary in due time. At this point, it, however, far more urgent to ensure that there is a productive and sustainable way forward for the institution. The NGJ is, after all, Jamaica’s national art museum and plays a significant role in the artistic community, the education sector, and tourism. It was once the most active and high-profile museum in Jamaica, and one of the leading art museums in the Caribbean, a regional leadership position Jamaica should not take for granted as there is now stiff competition in that field.

Below are some reflections on what should be done in my estimation, delivered in the hope that they may contribute to a constructive dialogue about the way forward. There are, after all, opportunities in every crisis, and with some goodwill, initiative, inclusive consultation, and imagination a better NGJ could in fact emerge.

Good governance is crucial to the sustainability of any institution, the NGJ included. Importantly, there needs to be a representative, inclusive, well-informed and effective board that serves as “the custodian of the public interest”, to borrow the terms used to describe the general responsibilities of the board of the Tate Gallery in England. It should be clearly understood, therefore, that the NGJ is publicly owned, and not a political trophy or personal turf, and that the institution ought to conduct its affairs, accordingly, in an inclusive, open and transparent manner.

The current Board of Directors of the National Gallery, which is headed by the President of the Senate and senior JLP politician Tom Tavares-Finson, has been in place since 2016. This Board was re-appointed, with only a few changes, for a second term in 2019 and presumably for another three years, and its second term would, thus, normally have ended last year. The current Board’s performance has been unimpressive, to put it mildly, so it would be ill-advised to re-appoint it for a third term, or to extend its life any further. Radical change is needed. A new, carefully chosen Board should be appointed, with balanced and inclusive leadership and membership. This new Board should be as devoid as reasonably possible of the intrigues and politics that have weighed down the previous one and there should be no scope for inappropriate micromanagement.

The long-awaited Public Body Management & Accountability (Nomination, Selection & Appointment) Regulations (2021) are now finally in effect (https://www.mof.gov.jm/media/public-bodies-corporate-governance/). It is disappointing that appointments continue to be at the discretion of the portfolio minister and will, as before, automatically end at any change of administration or minister, leading to the inevitable confusion and abrupt changes in direction and personnel in the operations of public bodies. A more democratic and independent appointment mechanism, with nominations from agreed stakeholder groups and an elected chair would have been a major step towards depoliticizing the board and other public sector appointments but it appears that the current government is not prepared to take that step.

There are, nonetheless, improvements in the new regulations. One is that members of the houses of Parliament and local government councillors can no longer serve on public boards, as it is now finally recognized that this poses an inherent conflict of interest. This means that the NGJ should at least get a new chair. The other is that there is now a register of prospective public board members, to which qualifying persons can add their profile, although there is no guarantee that any particular candidates will be selected, in what will inevitably remain a highly politicized process. There are also new mechanisms for accountability and redress which, hopefully, will make a difference. It would be tragic if the new regulations only amounted to window dressing, as substantive change is urgently needed in public sector governance.

The new NGJ board should have published terms of reference, based on a sound understanding of the institution’s mandate and its most pressing problems. There should also be a code of ethics, as many major museums now have for their boards and senior staff, and an annual declaration of assets and interests, so that the conflict-of-interest issues that inevitably arise in small, closely knit societies can be appropriately mitigated. The Tate Gallery, in the UK, publishes both on its website and its members are, more generally, expected to adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life, namely: Selflessness (acting in the public interest), Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership (in matters of integrity). These principles, which are also known as the Nolan Principles, were adopted by the British Government in 1995 and articulate the best practices for conduct in public offices (See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life–2). These principles are, by the way, also the ones used in the Code of Conduct of Jamaica’s Integrity Commission, which Cabinet members have refused to sign, although its provisions are entirely reasonable and widely accepted, internationally.

Some museums, such as the Tate, are also mandated to publish their board minutes on their website. Doing this here would certainly represent a vast improvement in transparency and it would certainly serve as a deterrent for inappropriate conduct. It would certainly be an eye-opener for the public if this were done retroactively for the NGJ, especially if the audio-recordings were included.

The third and concluding part of this article will be published next week.

Dr Veerle Poupeye is an art historian specialized in art from the Caribbean. She works as an independent curator, writer, researcher, and cultural consultant. The second, revised and expanded edition of her best-known book “Caribbean Art” was recently published in the World of Art series of Thames and Hudson. Her personal blog can be found at veerlepoupeye.com.