Fondazzjoni Kreattività Art Collection
When Fondazzjoni Ċentru għall-Kreattività was created to operate the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in 2000, it immediately started putting on visual art exhibitions within the building. Over the years, many of the artists whose work was exhibited within the space donated one of the works from the exhibition through a long-established practice common in Malta in state-owned spaces used for art exhibitions. This practice has led to the organization amassing a substantial collection of art works, which are considered to be its permanent collection and, by extension, part of the National Collection of works of art.
In January 2016, Fondazzjoni Kreattività reviewed the way works entered its permanent collection and ceased the practice of obligatory donation from artists whose work was exhibited at St James Cavalier. In spite of this, new works have continued to enter the collection under different arrangements. This followed an initial research project to gather feedback from artists, curators, cultural heritage professionals, and others involved in the sector. The research project also included a display of some of the works from the collection, entitled Past! Present, Future? as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme. In most cases, this was the first time the works of art were viewed in public since they first appeared at the original exhibition they came from.
Following on from the 2016 research project, work on compiling a detailed catalogue focusing on Fondazzjoni Kreattività’s art collection currently stored at St James Cavalier continued in January 2017.
Apart from the actual works of art, which can also be considered as an archived document of the artists’ work, the collection custodians set out to identify which are the most important basic elements that remain after a creative project has been exhibited to the public. Proposals, press releases, artist profiles, photos, reviews, posters, videos, and other material can provide an indication of the significant context in which the works of art were originally presented. This material can also help researchers better understand the artwork itself and also the work of the artist in a broader cultural spectrum.
These efforts aim to facilitate an understanding of the methods of collecting contemporary works of art along with points of interest that emerge through the collection as a whole.
Works from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection
2000 - 2006
The following works were displayed in Space A at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity between 14 January and 13 February 2017 as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme:
- Head of a little boy (2000) - Vincent Apap
- Mother Goddess (2001) - Jean Busuttil Zaleski
- Geometric shapes (2002) - Isabelle Borg
- Aħmar (2004) - Christopher Saliba
A full list will appear here shortly.
Artists
Vincent Apap from Valletta started taking lessons in sculpture at the School of Art under the guidance of Antonio Micallef. He won a scholarship to the British Academy of Art in Rome under Antonio Sciortino. After only a year, he was one of the winners of the Calderon Awards organised by the same academy. Back in Malta, at 22 years of age, Apap won a public commission for the Fra Diego monument in Ħamrun. That was to be his first of a series of public monuments which include Winston Churchill, George Borg Olivier, Giuseppe Calì, Luigi Preziosi, Nerik Mizzi, Paul Boffa, Dante Alighieri and the famous Triton fountain. Apap used to teach and was also Head at the School of Art. He was commissioned also to work for the British Royal family.
Farrugia, Joe Julian GĦAMLU ISEM it-Tieni Ktieb. Malta: MidSea Books, 2016
Anna Grima is an interdisciplinary artist whose works have been exhibited in Malta and abroad. Her earliest formative influence was her aunt Blanche Ellul Sullivan (1907-2002) artist and artisan. Anna began her practice as a graphic designer and illustrator. In 1982 she was awarded a scholarship by the Italian Cultural Institute to study painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti, Perugia Italy, focusing on the study of the nude and tutored by the late Professor Bruno Orfei. Her abstract paintings, watercolours and drawings are a diverse expression of her preferred subject matter and are the outcome of her contact with different cultural and spiritual traditions during her travels in Europe and the Far East.
http://www.annagrima.com/about.php
Bridget McCrum is a stone- carver but works in plaster for many bronze pieces. She had always been excited by ancient remains and fragments of carving. Her travels to many sites from different cultures around the Mediterranean, and the chance to work on archaeological surveys in Somalia increased her interest in small objects from the past. The landscape around her two homes has inevitably worked itself into her head. The gentle curves of the hills of South Devon and the stark limestone cliffs carved by wind and sea on Gozo, have all subconsciously influenced her works.
http://www.bridgetmccrum.com/profile.aspx
Catherine Cavallo studied Fine Arts/Oil Painting at the City & Guilds of London Art School. During her stay in London she became more and more influenced by the sombre moods and colours of city life. This reflected in her earlier paintings of the period. In 1990 she returned to Malta seeking her natural environment and turned towards the sea and typical Maltese countryside for stimulation in producing several sea and landscapes. Two years later, her three year stay in Tuscany brought out the native hues and colours in her vibrant paintings of this particularly scenic corner of Italy. Her works hang in private collections as well as permanent exhibitions both in Malta and overseas.
Keith Balzan offers a varied artistic palette of styles, yet specialises in Cubist and Expressionistic Art. He is self taught and likes to experiment with various media and textures. Keith’s art is a far cry from commercial paintings and forcefully reflects his mood, spontaneity and burning passion for the creative interpretation of everyday life. He graduated in Art after having studied at the University of Malta in 1997 and has taught art to secondary school students ever since. In 2008, he was awarded 2 special mentions in the International Fiat Grande Punto sticker design competition.
http://www.weavefx.com/keithbalzan/pdf/keith_balzan_bio.pdf
Janet Caruana Savage is a Junior College Assistant Lecturer. She studied Philosophy, Political Science and Education. She is certified to teach Social Studies. She has conducted workshops on culture, environment and empowerment using creative arts as a vehicle. She has created exhibitions and books from the outcomes of these workshops and also lectures teachers on how to use the creative arts for learning in the classroom. Her main interests are creativity and painting; focused on spirituality, symbolism and nature. She has published articles on creative empowerment and poetry.
https://www.jc.um.edu.mt/sok/staff/jcaruanasavage
Jean Busuttil Zaleski is an artist from Birkirkara. She had emigrated to America with her family at the age of eight. Most of her works were inspired by her discoveries while exploring Malta during her many visits and others were inspired by memories of her childhood here. Among the highlights of her career were an invitation to the White House by former President Jimmy Carter and receiving the `Susan B. Anthony Award` for painting from the National Organisation of Women in 1986, in New York City Hall. She has been a resident Fellow of the Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts since 1975 and has been instrumental in establishing a vital link between the centre, the University of Malta and St James Cavalier.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20020419/news/exhibition-by-maltese-american-artist.177373
2007 - 2013
Works from the collection from these years will be on display as part of the documentation process initiated in 2017 during the 2017/18 Spazju Kreattiv programme.
2014 - 2018
Works from the collection from these years will be on display as part of the documentation process initiated in 2017 during the 2018/19 Spazju Kreattiv programme.