Local News articles about Dennis and Booyork Graphics
New Black Sand T-shirts unveiled - St. Kitts-Nevis Observer
Kimberley Wilkes
Local artist Dennis Richards unveiled his latest t-shirt designs at the Fashion Files Modelling Show, held at the Ocean Terrace Inn on Sunday, March 5, 2006.
“Julie Martin asked me to be a part of the modelling show by featuring some of my creative designs. I only had a few of them with me, but the thought came to me that I could do a collection of t-shirts,” Richards explained. Richards said he wanted the t-shirts to be designed not only as a t-shirt design but also as a painting.
“What I did was to take some of the existing artwork I had and feature them on t-shirts. I also added a background to give them more body,” he pointed out.
Richards said the t-shirts were unique and could be used for decorations on a wall as well as casual wear.
“These t-shirts are unique. They are different because usually the shirts you see in St. Kitts are the same ones that you see in Antigua, St. Lucia and other Caribbean islands, with the same patterns but with the name of that place,” he said.
“The t-shirts are trademarked with the name Black Sand; the only one that I know of today that is done locally. I always like to give credit to the law firm Kelsick, Wilkin and Ferdinand because I could not afford to that”, said the local artist.
Richards, who has been designing t-shirts for about 20 years, said that he has always been into designs and realised that his products could always be sold to tourists.
“The tourists would quicker buy a t-shirt than anything else. A t-shirt carries more mileage and people wear them often. You always want to give a t-shirt to a friend whenever you travel abroad.
Most of my t-shirts promote St. Kitts, including ‘Hooked on Sugar City’, ‘Kittitian Carnival’, ‘SKB Carnival” and recently I started working on Music Festival T-shirts,” he said. “I have other paintings that are less commercial but these designs that I am selling are more commercial and at a more affordable price.”
When questioned about the youth, Richards said “due to the fact that I am in the school system now, I am trying to work on the aspect of more youths being involved in art. I think that there can be more youths in this field. When you get a chance to look at what the students are doing, they have talent and need to be guided.” He also stressed the need for persons to concentrate on human resources. “I think that we need to concentrate on our human resources in terms of marketable skills. The sand and sea is just temporary. A little bad weather can just destroy them and then what? The people are unique within themselves… whatever they come up with has to be unique. It represents us and that is how I look at it,” he said.
Reminiscing on his formative years, Richards recalled the advice given to him by his father. “As my father use to tell me, ‘do your best and leave the rest’, every little thing counts. I just have to do what I have to do, and hope I can start an effect where others can pick up because of what I have put in.”
Richards pointed out that locals need to promote ‘our own’, because it is people who make it happen. He also took the opportunity to invite the public to an exhibition to be held at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College on March 24th.
Art students hold successful exhibition - St. Kitts-Nevis Observer
Anastasha Elliott
The art, timber and architecture students of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College held an open house art exhibition at the campus. The students treated those who visited the college, and viewed the exhibits, to an extraordinary array of artwork.
The second annual Contemporary Art Exhibition was organised by art instructor and locally known artist, Dennis Richards.
Art students were asked to draw on the topic "Cricket on My Mind.”
In an interview, Richards explained that the theme was chosen in light of the upcoming Cricket World Cup games and test match scheduled to be held on St. Kitts next month.
Richards who is a former local cricketer, said the government has invested a lot of money in the stadium and "we need to take advantage of the opportunities that would arise out of the event," said Richards,
He noted that with the CSME now on-stream, persons will be coming to St. Kitts to sell their wares and people will buy, "they won't ask if you are from St. Kitts or if you are from Trinidad. They will buy and to them, it is of St. Kitts."
Richards further explained that the reason why the exhibition was held is two-fold. First he said it was to expose the artwork of the students. “Every time an art piece is completed it should be exhibited. Unfortunately there is no place in St. Kitts that their work can be shown,” said Richards.
Secondly, it is to provide awareness of the game to the general public and also to the students. The students were asked to design a piece on the topic, "those who did not know anything at all about cricket had to go and do some research and now they know a lot about cricket,” said Richards.
Richards informed us that he aimed to teach the students entrepreneurial skills, “and tempt them to become entrepreneurs.” The art instructor said he accomplished this by showing the students how to create a design and then transfer it to a t-shirt that they can then sell.
Overall Richards said he is proud of the work of the students. “The kids did some nice work, some had their regular work to do as well as the cricket themed ones.”
He said the exhibition itself was very effective. “It was effective in terms of what we were trying to do.”
This reporter visited the exhibition and viewed the work of the students and was in awe. The magnitude of talent on display at the exhibition just blew me away. Immediately I wanted to buy a piece, if not all and take them all home with me.
One piece that particularly caught my attention was what seemed like an air brushed piece, or maybe it was a painting of a young woman applying lipstick to her mouth. The detail of the piece was so vivid you almost felt as though the young woman was standing in front of you performing the action. Certainly you could see her reflection in her little hand held mirror, as she would see it. The student who created that piece is the one of best artists coming out of the Cayon High School. His name is Kevin Body.
Also while at the exhibition, a very outspoken local man, commented that one could not find the work done by the students in any gallery or shop within the town.
He said, “you can find those little souvenirs that they import and paint St. Kitts and Nevis on, but true artwork, like what these students have on display here, you cannot find anywhere.”
Richards is also of the same opinion that there is no place to exhibit students' artwork and is attempting to rectify that particular situation. But he needs help.
He however noted that the CEO of World Cup Cricket while speaking at the ceremony of the exhibition commented on the high quality of work and suggested collaboration with the College with regards to a cricket museum.
Richards pointed out one particular painting that he himself has done. He noted that the piece is dedicated to Lenn Harris, a former cricketer who died recently. The painting is entitled "Mikes," said Richards.
In describing himself, Richards said, “My hands and my mind are the conveyors used to bring out the culture in me. A combination of the hands, paintbrush and lead pencil, impregnates the canvases with a touch of my Kittitian culture. The rhythm bottled up in me, is expressed in the symbol of the congo drum, beating against my head.”
Why I’m proud to be Kittitian - The Leeward Times
Stanford Conway
Every member of a given society, regardless of their status, colour, creed, religion or race, ought to be proud of their place of birth.
Some people may say because of their country’s economic plight they should have been born elsewhere; a country like America, Canada, England or any country in the world where they perceive it as “A bed of roses”.
Not so with this man who walked into the St. Kitts Bureau of The Leeward Times and requested the publication of his feelings.
He is a born Kittitian and proud to let the world know it. He is cognizant of his country’s history, from the days of plantocracy through the dependency of the late “King Sugar”, to that of the exportation of tourism and other services.
Not only is he a Kittitian but also a man who lived and studied abroad and decided to return to his homeland to contribute in the development of his country’s youth, in particular, and in the Federation as a whole.
This proud Kittitian stated:
Let me take you back a little in time. The origin of our island’s name is something that I am proud of.
Liamuiga (land of the fertile soil) was named by the Caribs. This name was changed when Christopher Columbus visited the island and decided to call it St. Christopher. It is said that that the mountain ranges reminded him of his patron Saint, Christopher, carrying the baby Christ on his back. Hence the name St. Christopher (affectionately known as St. Kitts) came about; the people are known as Kittitians.
We are a country so loved and blessed that we were fought for by two of the leading nations, the British and French, who shared the island at that time. The French gave the name of the capital city, Basseterre, to us.
The British built their fortress on Brimstone Hill and today it is a World Heritage Site; something that I am very proud of!
St. Kitts was the first English colony established in the West Indies. It was used as a base to settle other islands, thus the name, “Mother Colony of the West Indies” was given to us.
Basseterre is one of the best laid out cities in the western hemisphere. There are not too many islands where an individual can start at one point, travelling east or west and end up at the same point. “Beautiful St. Kitts.”
Our mountain ranges are so very well placed that during bad weather when we have heavy rainstorms, our rainwater runs directly into the sea so that there is little or no flooding, making our recovery time second to none.
Talking about natural disasters, even though our people have political differences, we put them aside and come together to solve our problems. Like one of our great calypsonians said “Even though my sister is backing PAM and I am back Labour, if you hit my sister, you hit me”. Proud of that!
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the world’s smallest nations. That is something to be proud of.
Kittitians have a very rich culture, which originated from the Africans, the British and French.
Our folklore, clowns, masquerades and the bull are indigenous to St. Kitts. Kittitians usually perform their ceremonial dances at Christmas time.
On the international scene, in the sporting arena, we have people like Kim Collins who was the world’s fastest man at one time; Tiandra Ponteen and Virgil Hodge are world-ranking athletes; and in football we are very proud of Keith “Kyamba” Gumbs and Atiba Harris.
Our netball team have been West Indies champs before.
At one time we dominated Leeward Island cricket and it can happen again.
Jimmy Levine from St. Kitts from St. Kitts is a great golfer!
Jimmy won all of his golf tournaments in the Caribbean. He won the Trinidad Open thrice in the past five years, the OECS Open four times, the St. Thomas Open and St. Lucia Open six times each and the Barbados Open once.
Some of the most brilliant people in the Eastern Caribbean are from St. Kitts.
The headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is in St. Kitts and I the designer of the logo. “A proud Kittitian.”
The Treaty of Basseterre was signed in St. Kitts, brining the OECS together. We are small but Talowah” (a power of strength).
I had the honour of designing the press kit cover for the 12th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the OECS. “A proud Kittitian.”
We took up the challenge of hosting major events such as Carifesta Seven and came out with flying colours.
We are now getting ready to host another major event, World Cup Cricket, which I am proud. Thanks to people like Charles Wilkin, who is a brilliant scholar and Kittitian, and his team.
Another major event that we are getting ready to host is the International Whaling Commission and again, I am the designer of the log. “A proud Kittitian.”
St. Kitts afforded me the opportunity to have a solid foundation on which to build. Education in St. Kitts is free! There are not too many countries in the world that can boast about that. “Only in St. Christopher.”
The people are kind and very friendly and most of us are God-fearing.
We were given the title “World’s Freest Nation” at one time and these are some of the things that make me proud to be a Kittitian.
Let me take this time to introduce myself
I am a Kittitian by birth, born in Newtown on the outskirts of Basseterre. Both of my parents were Kittitians.
In 1967 I migrated to the United States for a period of 14 years where I attained my Associate degree and a Batchelor of Science in Education.
During my time in the US, I played music with my felloe Kittitian Keith Pole who has made it on the international scene.
We performed in two Apollo Theatres, one in St. Kitts and the other in New York. Proud of that!”
We were the first national band to come St. Kitts from the US in 1972 and the New Concept was the name of the group.
I am a graphic artist who specializes in t-shirt designing. Most of my shirts promote my country, including my trademarked logo SKB Black Sand - St. Kitts, Basseterre and the type of sand that adorns our shores.
Some of the names of my t-shirts are ‘I’m Hooked on Sugar City’, ‘Smooth Sailing St. Kitts’, ‘SKB Carnival’ and many more.
I own and operate Booyork Gallery, which is located in the Sir Lee’s building in College Street. Thanks to Sir Lee Moore, a distinguished Kittitian who allowed me to use his building free of cost. It is things like that, which makes me proud to be a Kittitian.
I worked at the Government’s Printer for 15 years as a cameraman and later as Acting Government Printer.
While working at the printery, I was proud to be a part of our country’s road to Independence Magazine cover, the State Service cover, the Official Magazine cover and the printing of the sample of the National Flag for the public to view.
Currently, I am a lecturer at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, teaching Computer Applications and Art.
During the past three years, while teaching CAPE art, we were able to attain 100% passes consecutively. I am proud of that!
All these things make me a proud Kittitian.
To my fellow Kittitians, I know that we are going through some very trying times but we still have a lot to be proud of. Look at what is happening in the rest of the world. Keep your chin up. And the in the words of one of our great musicians, calypsonian King Ellie Matt… “Viva St. Kitts”
