National Gallery launches tribute to Emerson Samuels on Tuesday
Stabroek News
May 16, 2004

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'Invitation to a Dance', an exhibition in tribute to veteran Guyanese artist, the late Emerson Samuels opens at the National Gallery, Castellani House on Tuesday at 5 pm.

A press release from Castellani House said the display will feature over 40 works by Samuels, including those from the National Collection, the National Collection at Colgrain House, Samuels' and private collections.

The paintings will include portraits, cityscapes, a recent series in pastels of old Georgetown and his last works of scenes in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The opening of the exhibition coincides with International Museum Day, the day when museums and galleries around the world promote their role as preservers of heritage and culture, the release said.

The theme of this year's observance is 'Intangible Cultural Heritage.'

The display of Samuels's work will run until July 31. The release noted that Samuels was well-known for contribution for over 50 years in the fields of fine art, teaching, graphic art and illustration.

He was noted for his oil paintings and skills in watercolour, pastel and drawing. He debuted on the local art scene in 1949 at age 21, when he won the 'painting of the year award.'

He subsequently won the Burnham Gold Medal for Painting in 1961 and prizes in exhibitions and competitions. Samuels who was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1997, died last August in New York.