Art for Guernsey

“I very much like my life here in Guernsey.” – David Ummels (Founder)

The island is beautiful and has a lot to offer in terms of lifestyle and quality of life. I very much enjoy watching my family being happy here and I believe that Guernsey deserves some credit for that. I previously lived and conducted business in many parts of the world, but I never before experienced the feeling to live in such a special place. In particular, I am most impressed by the level of integrity on the island. It makes you feel like you want to raise your standards and contribute as well.

That is why I came up with the idea of Art for Guernsey. The plan is to use my relationships in the art world to invite once a year an internationally renowned artist to visit and get inspired by Guernsey, and to produce related artworks that will be displayed during a two weeks long exhibition at the Market Place and will ultimately constitute an artistic legacy for Guernsey.

This initiative is very much about creating an opportunity for the islanders to discover high quality art for free. It is also about supporting the local community by reinvesting locally all the resources generated by the exhibitions, to support art and education development in Guernsey. Finally, it is about using the presence of the visiting artists to actively engage into the social life of the island, bring art where it is most needed, inspire people and try to make them happy.