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CCFS alumnus and fine artist Coral Bernadine, presenting her painting to Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart.

Tribute paid to PM

 

A special tribute has been paid to this island’s head of government by a past student of his alma mater, the Christ Church Foundation School (CCFS).
 
On Saturday, alumnus and fine artist Coral Bernadine, presented Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart with a painting which depicted a young Stuart looking into a mirror at a reflection of himself as a grown man. 
 
The painting was among the 50 pieces created by the artist and on display during the Exhibition of Art by Coral Bernadine entitled, “Pride of Barbados”.
 
This Exhibition in the school’s hall was presented by CCFS in celebration of this island’s 50th anniversary of Independence. 
 
In his remarks, Chairman of the CCFS’ Board of Management, Orlando “Gabby” Scott expressed a desire to see more portraits and paintings of the School’s past scholars hanging in the hall. “I believe that the Christ Church Foundation School has produced an array of eminent persons who have contributed in significant ways to nation building. I believe that we should hang the portraits or pictures in this hall so that when our students enter this place, and they do so daily for assembly and other reasons, and they recognise the high quality professionals that the Christ Church Foundation School has produced, especially over the past century, that they too would wish to emulate them.”
 
Meanwhile, while addressing the audience, which comprised current art students of the school, Bernadine said she decided to do the Exhibition to give back “to the school that nurtured my career as an artist”. The 76 year old also pointed out that some of the 12 themes of the Exhibition touched on commerce, entertainment, sports and agriculture.
 
The Prime Minister thanked the artist, who has 40 years experience, for her kind gesture, as well as congratulating her for putting on the Exhibition. He additionally stated that Barbados has much to celebrate during its 50th anniversary of Independence.
 
“I keep making the point as Prime Minister, that you really can’t celebrate anything, golden jubilee or anything else, if you are not imbued with a spirit of thanksgiving. If when you look around you, you see nothing to be thankful for – you can’t celebrate anything. So celebration starts within and looking back over the last 50 years, personally, I can see quite a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful to God and thankful to the people of Barbados and that is why I feel able to lead that movement for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Barbados’ Independence. Celebrations must begin with a spirit of thanksgiving. Those people who are not interested in celebrating obviously do not see anything to be thankful for and we must not be angry with them, we must just feel sorry for them because quite frankly it means that somehow their souls have enveloped in a kind of darkness from which I think they need to be rescued.”
 
 

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