Fine arts in Galleria Plaza
By Laura Silverman
The Morgan Gallery owners say they are pleased with the success of their first month of business in, aptly, the Galleria Plaza. Geraldine Morgan and husband Steve Byers are co-owners in the new venture, offering fine art to discerning art lovers in the Cayman Islands. We feel that our gallery is a good fit with what the government is hoping to achieve in the country, says Morgan, referring to the drive to attract the best, world-class developments to the Cayman Islands. The gallery specialises in European and Asian art, but it also strongly supports local artists. Indeed, it recently added Randy Chollette, one of the Native Sons local art group, to its featured artists. There are just less than 40 pieces on display in the immaculate space, which range from UK artist Carol Owen, MBE, wife of former Cayman Islands Governor John Owen, to eclectic Malaysian and Chinese painters who have won acclaim in their home countries and abroad. Most of our artists have had exhibitions all over the world, says Morgan, including Chollette who is widely collected throughout the US and the UK. He does wonderful abstract work, adds Morgan. There are currently 17 artists displayed, from as varied locations as France, Spain, Greece, Scotland and Holland, to name a few. The art currently on sale ranges in price from $1,500 to $12,000. By selling only original pieces and no prints, Morgan also ensures that the pieces meet the criteria for fine art. Morgan is very knowledgeable about the artists she features. She says she makes a point of researching them. This diligence and attention to detail might reflect her background in accounting, for which she also travelled extensively to Asia. Morgan says she and her husband are considering adding more wall space to the 1,200 square foot gallery, by constructing side partitions. She admits that this will be challenging as the goal is to keep the decor and layout very simple in order to not take away from the art. The Morgan Gallery has a larger selection of pieces on hand, but they are not currently displayed due to lack of space. All the pieces are mounted on the wall through a simple and effective hanging system the couple sourced in the UK, which involves suspending the pieces from transparent wire fitted to a railing. That way, there is no need to drill holes in the walls and enables Morgan to change the layout of the art pieces easily. The cream-coloured walls bearing the art work are illuminated by a lighting system from New York. Perusing the selection with her, her favouritism comes to light as she points out that the pieces she enjoys the most are placed very close to her desk at the back of the room an added benefit to owning one s own gallery. The gallery also has its own web site, at www.the-morgangallery.com, which was launched this week.