Discover Central Bank Arts

During the lead-up to the completion of the Eric Williams Financial Complex, a committee was formed to outfit the building with the best examples of local art. The committee included Daphne Harper, Carlisle Chang, Carlisle Harris, Selby Wooding, and Megan Hopkyn-Rees, and their mandate was two-fold:

• To make proposals for augmenting the existing collection to meet requirements of the new building, (a) by the purchase of suitable available work and (b) by commissioning works by artists for specific locations.
• To make recommendations for competitions for mural-type works and sculpture.

The committee presented several recommendations for the placement of existing works in suitable spaces. They also recommended new purchases through selections from an exhibition on the ground floor of the Bank, commissioned paintings and sculptures, and a competition for a large mural on the concourse.

Many acquisitions were made, and the mural competition was held between February 27 and March 28, 1986. The competition was judged by Kynaston McShine, then Senior Curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York. Entries were received from well-known artists such as Peter Minshall, Guy Beckles, and Hettie De Gannes. Short-listed participants included Ken Morris, Greer Jones, and Willie Chen, who won the competition with his copper concept, “Solar Marinorama”. The mural was completed and installed in June 1986 above the Money Museum entrance.

Into the 90s and 2000s the Bank continued to make important acquisitions through its Acquisitions Committee. Many pieces were collected during those decades by artists such as Norris Iton, Leroy Clarke and Donald “Jackie” Hinkson.
Throughout the existence of the collection the Bank has held special exhibitions of the collection at various significant points in the history of the Central Bank or the history of Trinidad and Tobago. These special exhibitions were aimed at showcasing the artwork to the public for entertainment and education. Art exhibitions at the Bank were always well attended as they gave the public including students the opportunity to see work that would normally be in areas of the bank restricted to the general public.
In a newspaper release following the opening of the Bank’s 30th Anniversary Art exhibition, Carlisle Chang wrote of the Bank’s art that, “it is a collection of which we may all be proud…”. Indeed, the Central Bank takes great pride in its collection. The Bank has and continues to ensure that the collection is safeguarded and preserved for future generations. The Bank also prioritizes access to the collection by the public for educational purposes as well as enjoyment and plans to continually develop exhibition programming that will increase public interaction and engagement with the artwork.

The 2019 publication, “The Art Collection: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago,” shares the fascinating tale of the Collection’s history and analyses over 200 pieces of art.