When artist ransome outlined his ideas for a Key West residency in 2023 at The Studios of Key West, he wanted to examine the history of Bahama Village, blocks away from his temporary home, as it was shaped by its original inhabitants. Now, the painter and collage artist is presenting these visual works at his “Ghost in Bahama Village” exhibit, which will run through February in the Sanger Gallery.
The intent of this exhibit is to pay tribute to the resilience of Bahama Village while celebrating its “creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural traditions that continue to enliven its streets, reflecting both the legacy of its past and the enduring spirit of Key West today.”
The painter was born in North Carolina and lived in a suburb of New Jersey as a teen. He graduated from Pratt Institute and went on to become a tenured professor in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University before retiring to pursue life as a studio artist.
During his stay, ransome knew that the history of Key West and the lives of its former residents would prove to be a draw. Most of his work focuses on the Great Migration and African Americans moving from the South to the North. While on the island, he did some research into the first waves of Bahamian arrivals, some of the ships connected to the slave trade, and other key elements of African American community development over the centuries.
He naturally came across Key West’s Bahama Village. He discovered some of the multi-generational families responsible for the cultural and economic activity of the historic community that has seen many changes over the past few decades.
At this new exhibit, viewers can see 50 small works in various sizes that all sort of craft a narrative about the African Americans who lived on the island and the ensuing culture.
Executive director of The Studios, Jed Dodds, explained that when selecting exhibiting artists, the team not only considers the quality of the work but also whether it will have a particular impact here, either because it tells stories about the place we live in or because it tells stories that do not often get told here. He believes ransome delivers on both of these things.
The artist is hoping to take viewers beyond beautiful blue skies and the green of the vegetation. The goal is that the works presented will move past being portraits or academic images reproduced in paint.
He wants the crowd to walk away with an appreciation for history and to remember the time of a segregated village that had an importance of culture and life within it, and to identify and reflect on the group of people who lived in that community.
Ghost in Bahama Village
Now through Feb. 26
The Studios of Key West
tskw.org
