Art for Guernsey is delighted that law firm Carey Olsen has generously sponsored the African Guernsey Community Project. Tom Carey, Partner at Carey Olsen Guernsey, explained why they decided to lend their support to this exhibition.
Why did Carey Olsen decide to support Art for Guernsey, and more specifically the African Guernsey Community Project?
We as a partnership decided to support Art for Guernsey because as a business we’re aligned with your values of community, education and cultural diplomacy. We’re focused on the arts as one plank of our CSR policy, and in particular the educational benefits of the arts that can be brought to the community. We are a global business with a diverse workforce, and we operate in many jurisdictions and have many connections with Africa, both from a client perspective and from an employee perspective. We were very interested in aligning ourselves with a project that shows Guernsey’s international reach, and shows that it’s a place that welcomes you with open arms and allows you to flourish and totally be yourself within the community.
Has the African community on the island enriched Carey Olsen?
We celebrate Africa Day and there’s a real cultural crossover with our South African office. It’s very enriching to be a global business – it’s important for us to get to know each other within the business and we’re continually pushing for everyone to understand each other’s cultures.
Have your colleagues given you any feedback on the exhibition?
Everyone involved in the project has felt proud and excited to be involved – they feel it has been incredibly positive, and they’re proud Carey Olsen has sponsored it. It’s become a community event within a community event, and it demonstrates why Guernsey is such a great place to live and do business.
Art for Guernsey has four “pillars”: exhibitions, education, community and cultural diplomacy. This project ticks all four boxes – if you had to pick a favourite, which would it be?
Cultural diplomacy is my personal favourite but we have a very soft spot here for educational opportunities as well, and I think they go hand in hand. Art for Guernsey has done so much to show how art can bring people together on an international basis, and when you partner with David and his team you can always rely on exhibitions of the highest quality and integrity. There’s a whole programme that goes on around each exhibition that lifts the mood of the island. I can remember a world before Art for Guernsey and there’s a completely different vibe now, with the way the team goes about in the community and makes these connections that people have forgotten we have.
What does art mean to you?
The creative process of art is incredibly enjoyable. I’m not a great artist, but I’ve always enjoyed a scribble or a bit of a paint. It’s actually through David that I’ve learned to have an appreciation for art, and it came about because of what was sparked by Art for Guernsey in regard to artists on the island. You started to see a lot of artists who were operating on their own really stand out because of the team’s involvement. I’ve become appreciative of the local art scene and have bought pieces by artists such as Frances Lemmon and Bridget Spinney. Seeing art from an educational perspective is fantastic, and the Art in School initiative has engaged local children – that doesn’t happen elsewhere. Seeing the power of art when it’s used in that way is quite special.
Do you think that the gallery and other art initiatives are important in attracting people to the island, whether to live or to visit?
The ability to draw people in who wouldn’t ordinarily come to Guernsey is incredibly important. Also where Art for Guernsey is based, bringing people to a part of town which is actually steeped in history and should be explored more. David and the team are breaking down all of those stereotypes around art and making it completely accessible to everybody. From a business perspective, Guernsey needs to get out there and show people what it can do – we need to be proud of our island and what we do here, and Art for Guernsey shows that when people come here they love it. I heard that Eugen Gorean had to invent a new “Guernsey green”, and for the island to inspire someone like that is incredible.
