arteccentrix gallery

If you are feeling blah lately, stop in to arteccentrix gallery in Governors Square to lift your spirits. Even if you aren’t in the market for fine art at this exact moment, you’ll find yourself feeling refreshed and inspired by the beautiful array of fine artwork. It’s like going to a mini-museum! The gallery is full of bright colors, and there is some stunning three dimensional artwork. I fell in love with some ravishing sculptures made from solid Caymanite; a rare semi precious stone. ( I am still scheming about how to fit the sculpture into my budget; it is fabulous.)

Artist Al Ebanks

If you can find your way in before April 22nd, it’s worth seeing Cayman artist Al Ebanks’ ”Beyond” Exhibition. Al is a local Caymanian artist who has gained immense popularity and respect in Cayman and abroad. His work is on display in galleries in Chicago and Miami as well as many private collections in Cayman and in the US. Al’s style has been described “a fresh twist of Abstract and Impressionist Art”. His work is powerful, complex and delightful to behold in person, and it’s worth a trip to arteccentrix this week to have a look at the collection.

It’s worth stopping in arteccentrix anytime. Owners Nickola McKoy-Snell and Maurice Snell keep an ever-changing variety of exciting local artwork in the gallery. They plan on expanding the inventory to include more international artists as the gallery matures. Nickola is a talented artist herself, and feels fulfilled now that she is immersed in the art world full time. (With a laugh, she recalled recently that she found herself doodling and drawing in her previous career, since being an artist has always been her true calling.) The couple have a passion for highlighting local artists, and making beautiful fine art available for all of us here in Cayman. Make sure you pop in soon. It’s not a stuffy place at all; the owners are friendly and you’ll learn a lot about art. And you’ll feel cheered up-I sure did!

arteccentrix gallery is open Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00, and Saturday 10:00-4:00PM.

Telephone 345-927-2076    nickola@arteccentrixgallery.com

www.arteccentrixgallery.com

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My New Couch

Recently, I went on the the hunt for the perfect leather sectional couch. I couldn’t locate one in Cayman, although Tara Parker, owner of Beyond The Horizon, assured me that the couch of my dreams was on its way to the store and would be in April 1st. (Anyone who lives here is familiar with Beyond The Horizon, Grand Cayman’s fabulous home goods store & number one source for unique Asian furniture.) I was a little skeptical, but it turns out the BTH gets their leathers from an amazing Italian leather company that recently relocated to Thailand-resulting in top quality couches with very good pricing.

Brown Couch

I made the trip up to Miami and shopped for sectionals ’till I dropped. I sat on manly couches, modern couches, distressed leather, buttery leather, and saw every color leather from bright white to coral. At the end of the weekend, I found “the couch”, at a good price-great news! The bad news was, it was a 12 week special order process, it needed to be shipped internationally, and would be assessed a 22% duty when it arrived in Cayman. While I was in the store in Miami,  Tara called. “Hi! Our new leather sectionals have arrived!” she said, ”Stop by and check them out!”. The call stuck in my mind for the rest of the trip.

As soon as I arrived back in Cayman, I went to Beyond the Horizon. All the sectionals were indeed gorgeous. Tucked in the back, was the most beautiful, perfect, comfortable, stylish sectional couch I could imagine. And the price was exactly what I would have paid if I got it in Miami. SOLD! I now have my perfect leather sectional, and also had the pleasure of supporting a local Cayman business. They do have another one just like my couch, if anyone is interested!

Navy Couch

The new leather collection is Analine Leather. It’s dyed all the way through the leather. So when there is a scratch, it won’t show. The construction on the couch is solid. And trust me, all the sectionals are extremely comfortable. My new couch passed ”the husband test”-he loved it! Stop by soon to check it out for yourself!

Beyond The Horizon has a ton of other beautiful inventory at the moment.  (I also bought a solid wood classic dining room table for an excellent price; ask about sale items!) Step into Beyond the Horizon and fall in love with something special for your home. It’s rare to walk out of this beautiful store empty-handed. It’s like being inside of a precious Oriental jewel box; everything in the store is as lovely as jewelry. Beyond the Horizon carries:

• Leather sectional sofas and chairs
• Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room Collections
• Unique Soft Furnishings
• Funky Clothing & Accessories
• Mirrors
• Baskets, Giftware & More

Beyond the Horizon

Galleria Plaza, West Bay Road
Telephone:    (345) 946-1498      
Open: Mon thru Sat, 9am to 5pm

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Barcelona Set

The most fabulous home furnishings store in the Cayman Islands is having a sale this weekend: Sticks & Stones! (If you haven’t seen their amazing new store, you simply must venture out and visit. Both of their previous locations were groovy, but their permanent digs are a zen paradise.) The sale going on now on is on ALL in stock outdoor teak and rattan furniture. If you’ve ever seen the Sticks and Stones outdoor collection, you’ll run over and hit this sale tomorrow, cuz the stuff is the kind of primo furniture you see celebs lounging around on in Vanity Fair Magazine. It’s HOT! Super chic, stylish, and long lasting. Many pieces are nice enough to go inside the house! There are outdoor rattan furniture sets that have a loveseat, 2 arm chairs and a coffee table. They also have stunning teak dining tables and chairs on sale. If you need a huge teak table, check out the one on sale for $1900.00 on the front porch-it’s simply grand and it’s a steal! I would have already snatched it up if I had the space for it.

Sticks & Stones is an uber-cool, one-of-kind place you would expect to find in San Fran or London, filled with wondrous eco-friendly & recycled wood furniture, stunning teak creations, magnificent stone pieces, garden delights, and beautiful original artwork. The furniture ranges from wonderfully oversized (huge masculine sleigh beds and enormous sprawling desks) to just right (tiny hand-honed benches that would be perfect for a studio apartment or a child’s room). The quality is excellent. Everything looks like it costs a fortune, but don’t panic..the prices are terrific!

The owners purchased the property and carefully renovated the building as well as the grounds. It is worth the visit just to see the gorgeous doors they installed! Make sure you wander outside to see the gazebo, the garden creations and the recently installed nature pond.

Hit the sale tomorrow if you need outdoor stuff, or even if you don’t need a thing. There is always something cool to spiff up your place; even if it’s just a new set of earth-toned drapes or a funky new wall hanging. They have the most sensational lamps in the universe too-guaranteed to perk up the gloomiest rental condo!

Getting there might sound a little tricky, but it’s closer than you think: take North Sound Road just past the Butterfield roundabout towards CUC. Once you pass the CUC main office on your left and the Conch Shell House on your right, take a right hand turn onto Kingbird Drive. Follow Kingbird Drive all the way down past the warehouses and look for the Sticks & Stones flags.

Sticks & Stones      114 Kingbird Drive    947-8663

sticksandstones@candw.ky

Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM

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Welcome Home

Are you redoing a rental condo? Moving into a new home? Or simply in need of a fresh new look for a tired room in your home? Or how about that apartment you’re renting; does it need a few things that belong to you, so it looks like “your place”? Well, Cayman people, the most fabulous store has opened at Governor’s Square- “Welcome Home”. Walk in the door and you’ll swear you’re in San Fran, DC or Miami; the store is extremely chic and beautiful. The shocking surprise is the price of the merchandise:very, very reasonable. I had to actually look twice at some of the price tags because I could not believe my eyes. The Welcome Home concept is “High Style at Affordable Prices”. The good news is, the inventory changes constantly, and the store is already very popular, so you won’t be seeing the same things over and over again.  The art and decor items are purchased in very small quantities, so chances are you won’t be seeing something you purchased for your home in the home of someone else.  There will be elegant and stylish events like ‘Black Tie Christmas”, where the store will be decorated in Black, Silver and Red.

Chairs

The inventory is an appealing mixture of casual-chic and elegance. Lots gleaming polished aluminum candlesticks, unusual mirrors, picture frames, and no-tarnish serving pieces. There are lovely silk orchids and other silk plants. The furniture is beautiful: chairs and tables that fuse traditional style with contemporary finishes and upholstery. There are exceptionally pretty toss pillows, super gorgeous glass candle holders, and a trio of over-sized pillar candle holders in polished aluminum that you might want to rush in and buy soon, because I have my eye on them!

Decor

Welcome Home is the place to go for gifts. There are many small items that would make anyone feel better, so if someone needs a lift during this gloomy rainy season, pop over to Welcome Home and pick up a treasure to cheer them up. Anne Roberts or Susan Abbott might be around to help, these two helpful gals are the sisters who brought “Welcome Home” to Cayman. (Susan is the well known marketing & retail person who owns the boutique “Just Add Water” here in Cayman.”)

Silks

I am getting ready to put a condo on the market, and I’m going to box up all our outdated kick-knacks and sweep in with some chic Welcome Home accessories. So you’d better get in there before my big shopping spree!

Welcome Home   10:00 AM-6:00 PM Monday-Saturday

345-949-4663

Governors Square

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Sticks and Stones

The most fabulous home furnishings store in the Cayman Islands just became even more fabulous. Sticks & Stones has moved into their own amazing new home, and you simply must venture out and see it for yourself.

Sticks & Stones is an uber-cool, one-of-kind place you would expect to find in San Fran or London, filled with wondrous eco-friendly & recycled wood furniture, stunning teak creations, magnificent stone pieces, garden delights, and beautiful original artwork. The furniture ranges from wonderfully oversized (huge masculine sleigh beds and enormous sprawling desks) to just right (tiny hand-honed benches that would be perfect for a studio apartment or a child’s room). The quality is excellent. Everything looks like it costs a fortune, but don’t panic..the prices are terrific!

The owners purchased the property and carefully renovated the building as well as the grounds. It is worth the visit just to see the gorgeous doors they installed! Make sure you wander outside to see the gazebo, the garden creations and the recently installed nature pond.

Garden

Getting there might sound a little tricky, but it’s closer than you think: take North Sound Road just past the Butterfield roundabout towards CUC. Once you pass the CUC main office on your left and the Conch Shell House on your right, take a right hand turn onto Kingbird Drive. Follow Kingbird Drive all the way down past the warehouses and look for the Sticks & Stones flags.

Sticks & Stones      114 Kingbird Drive    947-8663

sticksandstones@candw.ky

Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM

Front Door

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Pure Art

For over twenty years, Pure Art Gallery & Gifts has been open in their charming Cayman cottage on South Church Street in South Sound, just one mile south of George Town. If you drive up in a Cayman Porsche, a Jeep rental, or on your favorite bicycle, Pure Art is sure to delight a variety of shoppers in the Cayman Islands.

Original paintings of the Cayman Islands are featured throughout Pure Art’s creative gallery rooms. Cayman’s most accomplished artist’s original paintings are on ongoing exhibitions which change daily, as new works arrive and sales of these valued unique paintings are collected internationally or for buyers in Cayman.

Collectors of original fine art appreciate Pure Art’s varied selection of Cayman art, which range in size, subject, price, mediums, and is unified only by its quality! Browsers are always “Welcome” at Pure Art, since the one-of-a-kind pieces are so enjoyable to view.

Paintings are grouped with Cayman sculptures, household gifts, and collectables at Pure Art. A Cayman painting is a perfect collectable!

Art prints of Cayman also feature some of the Island’s most stunning views, subjects, and colors of Cayman. This “affordable art” is beautifully framed or matted, or sold individually in tubes (for ease when traveling or storing). Prices depend on each artist, but are extremely reasonable by any international standard. Prints, posters, photos, underwater photos are Pure Art’s best sellers all of these years! Prints are fantastic when grouped, and are a wonderful way to take home a little bit of Cayman for your home, office, or holiday cottage/condo/home. Great framing can preserve these collectables for years!

Visitors and residents alike can browse through the beautiful collection of handcrafted local or “island style” gifts, and their outstanding original Cayman paintings and art prints! After visiting the Pure Art website, http://pureart.ky/ feel free to contact Pure Art or pop in their exceptional gallery ASAP.

Pure Art Gallery & Gifts

Location:
One mile south of the center of George Town, on the corner of South Church Street and Denham-Thompson Way.

Telephone: (345) 949-9133
Fax: (345) 949-4473

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Art at Governors 2009

On January 31st over 100 artists, crafts people and designers will be demonstrating their talents at this year’s Art@Governors event, the islands’ premier art event held each year on the lawn of Government House. Co-hosts His Excellency the Governor Mr. Stuart Jack and Mrs Jack, and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, along with annual sponsor Walkers, invite everyone to attend this year’s event and participate in the theme “Making a difference”.

In the years since its inauguration in 2000, Art@Governors has become the only festival of its kind in Cayman to display such a diverse number of visual art forms from paintings, ceramics, sculpture and leatherwork to thatch work, body paintings, jewellery, quilts, photography and handicrafts. Visitors have a chance to meet seasoned and emerging artists one on one, to query their art processes and to participate in creating a work of art themselves. The event also gives visitors the opportunity to view the differences and similarities between the traditional heritage craft and the contemporary arts of the islands, and the ways in which one has inspired the other. Highlighted artists this year included Shane Arquart who is best known for his “Dready” character and “Jonty” Iddekinge, a street artist who working with the National Gallery’s Community Mural Programme.

Other annual highlights include traditional craft displays; catboat rides from the Cayman Catboat Club; cultural booths; demonstrations by the Cayman Islands Cadet Corp, the National Gallery, CNCF, Cayman Islands National Museum, Cayman Traditional Arts and other non-profit organizations; art tours; music by local bands and One World Entertainment; dance performances; and afternoon tea.

New to this years event is the special “Art Creation Station” for children offering a variety of ‘green’ arts and craft activities based on making a difference to your environment. This year you can also take part in a mini documentary by sharing how you make a difference today’s society; paint a public art mural at part of the National Gallery’s Community Mural Programme; or create crafts in the Walkers’ Children of the Arts tent.

Join His Excellency Governor Stuart Jack and his wife Mariko, the National Gallery and Walkers for an afternoon of artistic stimulation of all kinds on Saturday 31st January from 1pm to 5pm. The event is entirely free and all are welcome to attend.

Please visit http://www.nationalgallery.org.ky/ for more information about The National Gallery.

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Sticks and Stones

Tired of the same old “island style” furniture? We all know the 1970’s look: white wicker furniture and faded floral prints. Upgrade your home with a chic, funky global look. If you haven’t already, it’s time to visit Grand Cayman’s most unique home decor store: Sticks and Stones. Massive signature pieces share space with beautiful canvas artwork, comfy leather chairs, gorgeous outdoor furniture, cozy kitchen tables, groovy lamps and much more. Everything in Sticks and Stones is remarkably attractive and unusual.

I am such a fan of the store that my own home is only a piece or two away from looking like a Sticks and Stones annex. I have a stunning solid wood dining table with leather chairs, a long & low Balinese entertainment center, and a King size bed that was assembled like a giant child’s puzzle…not a bolt or screw in sight! I used oversize canvas artwork in a guest room that was shockingly affordable, and it’s the one piece of art that always gets the most ooh’s and ah’s.

The prices are always good, but until January 24th, there’s a blowout 25% off sale at the existing showroom! 25% off all stock in the entire store. Sticks and Stones is moving into their new “nest” at the end of January and they are running a sale on the entire inventory prior to the big move.

Stop in soon to take advantage of the huge clearance sale! Mark your calendars to visit the new digs in February, at 114 Kingbird Drive (just off North Sound Road, past CUC). Knowing Miss Jani, the creative genius behind Sticks and Stones, it will be a magical wonderland filled with irresistible treasures from all over the globe.

Sticks and Stones    Three Paddington Place    Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:00

Telephone      94-STONES (947-8663)      sticksandstones@candw.ky

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Jacques Scott Wine & Spirits

Busy Cayman Islands hostesses have always relied on The Jacques Scott Group for help with their fine wine selections. For nearly half a century, Jacques Scott has been the leading purveyor of wine, beer and spirits in The Cayman Islands. The company has five retail locations, including a 5,000 sq ft flagship store located at the corner of North Sound and Shedden Roads. This location has a fine wine room with a certified sommelier on hand to assist customers with their wine selections. In addition to the exquisite wine selections, Jacques Scott Fine Wines also carries an extensive range of beers and spirits. It also boasts the Jacques Scott Winebar, a wine dispensing system that allows customers to sample wines before they buy. At any given time there are sixteen different wines available to taste and there is no fee associated with this service.

The Jacques Scott Group constantly strives for new and innovative product lines. The most recent retail addition is the large, luxury store in Countryside Shopping Village in Savannah. Foodies and gourmands will be delighted with the wide array of premium kitchen and tableware. The brands include:

• KitchenAid blenders, hand mixers and stand mixers
• Le Crueset cast iron enameled cookware
• Lodge Cast iron cookware
• John Boos Butcher block tables

There are plenty of other must-have items for your Christmas list, including table linens, cookware and kitchen accessories. Don’t be surprised if your next wine run ends up being a little more expensive than usual! The new Jacques Scott inventory is irresistible! If your schedule is jammed up, consider the unique service provided by the Jacques Scott online portal: www.jacquesscottonline.com . It’s as simple as doing any other online shopping-you can just browse the products, place them in your online shopping cart, checkout, and they will deliver your order free of charge, island-wide! What could be easier than that?

Get prepared for early for your holiday entertaining with the help of Jacques Scott! And don’t forget to tell Santa about the KitchenAid blender. Your next batch of Mango-Ritas will be a snap!

Jacques Scott Wine and Spirits  Countryside Shopping Village, Savannah

Telephone: (345) 947-1536        www.jacquesscottonline.com

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International Design Group Ltd is known locally and internationally as the top interior design firm in the Cayman Islands. Many of the most luxurious homes in Grand Cayman have been appointed by IDG. The IDG showroom is a 4,000 square ft wonderland of fine furniture, fabrics, artwork, lighting and accessories sourced from all over the world.

The IDG Showroom in Seven Mile Shops is has an exquisite collection of exclusive designer furniture and home decor items. The overall “IDG look” is classic, contemporary elegance with a hint of glamour. A little known resource in Grand Cayman is the IDG Warehouse, on Dorcy Drive next to the Airport Foster’s Grocery store. The warehouse has top quality home decor items at discounted prices. Normally, access to the IDG Warehouse is arranged by appointment only, but this weekend it will be open to the public for a fabulous sale.

Saturday, November 22nd and Sunday, November 23rd from 9:00 AM to 6:00PM, there is a floor sample sale at the IDG Warehouse. This is a clearance sale with items up to 70% off! EVERYTHING MUST GO. Plan on getting there early to snap up world class decor items for a fraction of the cost. Instead of dreaming about the perfect signature decor piece for your home, scoot down to the IDG Warehouse Sale and make the dream a reality! If you can’t make the sale, call IDG to arrange a private appointment at the warehouse. You won’t be disappointed. I could pick out furniture blindfolded in IDG…it’s that gorgeous.

IDG Warehouse      Dorcy Drive next to the Airport Foster’s  Telephone   (345) 745-4311  

IDG Showroom       Seven Mile Shops      Telephone  (345) 943-6464                        

www.idgcayman.com   

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