Of Wood and Water: Scotiabank and National Gallery launch exhitiion celebrating Jamaican art and corporate collecting

Jamaican art, culture, and institutional collecting took centre stage on Sunday, June 14, 2026, as Scotiabank, in partnership with the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), officially opened Of Wood and Water: The Scotiabank Collection.

The exhibition brings together works from the Scotiabank Jamaica Collection, one of the largest corporate art collections in the Caribbean and a significant holding within Scotiabank’s Global Art Program, alongside selected works from the National Collection, creating a rare dialogue between corporate and national archives of Jamaican visual culture.

Speaking at the opening, Audrey Tugwell Henry, President and CEO of Scotia Group Jamaica, reaffirmed Scotiabank’s long-standing commitment to Jamaica’s development, noting that the Bank’s investment in culture forms a critical part of its broader social and community impact.

She highlighted that Scotiabank’s Global Art Program manages more than 6,000 works of art across its international footprint, with Jamaica accounting for approximately 1,600 pieces, nearly 28 per cent of the Bank’s global collection. “This collection represents one of the most enduring expressions of Scotiabank’s commitment to the communities we serve,” she said. “Through it, we provide employees, clients and the wider public with meaningful opportunities to engage with art that reflects our history, our experiences and our aspirations as a people.”

She added that the exhibition reflects Scotiabank’s belief that art plays an essential role in shaping strong, resilient communities, preserving cultural heritage, and supporting Jamaica’s creative economy.

Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Jamaica, O’Neil Lawrence, described the exhibition as an important example of how institutional and corporate collections can intersect to deepen public understanding of Jamaican art history. “Corporate collections are often discussed through a particular lens. As they exist within spaces designed for clients, customers and staff, there is a tendency to assume that the works collected must necessarily lean toward the decorative and away from the challenging,” Lawrence said. “However, beauty and engagement do not exist outside of social reality. These works are also products of particular historical moments, economic circumstances, and cultural aspirations.”

Assistant Manager for Scotiabank’s Fine Art Programme, Antwain Clarke, who developed the curatorial framework, explained that Of Wood and Water draws inspiration from Jamaica’s Taíno heritage, originally known as Xaymaca: “the Land of Wood and Water”.

He noted that the exhibition is structured across three thematic chapters: Superposition, Metamorphism, and Rupture, which explore layered histories, transformation over time, and moments of sudden disruption as lived through Jamaica’s landscape and people.

“Ultimately, Of Wood and Water is about change,” Clarke added. 

The exhibition underscores the role of corporate collecting in the preservation and evolution of Jamaican visual culture, highlighting how private sector institutions can contribute meaningfully to the development and accessibility of national artistic heritage.

Of Wood and Water: The Scotiabank Collection will remain open to the public until September 13, 2026, at the National Gallery of Jamaica.