By Dominic Kalipersad

TRINIDAD GUARDIAN

November 6, 1997

Page 17

At age 83, Lewis Lovelace is perhaps the oldest living practicing artist in Trinidad and Tobago today.

But prostate cancer is threatening to brush a final stroke on the life of the older brother of famed author Earl Lovelace.

However, with remarkable strength, the senior Lovelace refuses to relent and continues to paint at his Barataria home. "I am fighting back with my art," he asserted Tuesday, "despite the after-effects of the past four years of treatment."

Still, meeting the high cost of medication is a major challenge. "Right now, they have me on medication that costs. $500-600 a month for a vial of 50 tablets," he said. "And my doctor tells me the medication I need would cost $1,000 a month. My pension can't cover that."

Lovelace explained that because of his financial challenges, he is selling his paintings to defray medical expenses.

With the help of Studio 66 Art Support Community of Barataria, his Exhibition of Paintings - "Yesterday, Today and Forever" opens November 24 at the Financial Complex in downtown Port-of-Spain.

Born in Port-of-Spain on August 19^th, 1914, Lewis Lovelace moved to Toco where he spent his formative years. He developed a fascination for the natural beauty of the countryside and acquired a love for painting and drawing as a means of self-expression.

In 1933, at age 19, he joined the Trinidad Government Railways as a sign-painter, where he worked until its closure in 1968.

During his 35-year stint as a public officer, Lovelace developed an ambition and love for the Arts. Though largely self-taught, he did pursue a course in painting and decoration with the Board of Industrial Training.

A stalwart activist of the Trinidad Art Society during the fifties and sixties, Lewis Lovelace has been a source of tremendous inspiration to many of our leading artists and, in particular young aspiring artists who have sought his expertise.

From 1969-1971 he taught Art for the government's Community Development Division (East St George), spanning areas from St Joseph to Arima. "A born teacher," he developed his own teaching aid diagrams, which he still possesses.

In 1972, Lovelace was invited to compile a biographical listing of "all important artists of Trinidad and Tobago" for the German General Pictorial Art Encyclopaedia. His list of achievements includes murals painted for the Agriculture Ministry's Forestry Division, as well as sets for the local motion picture production of The Right and the Wrong.

Lewis Lovelace's paintings are in the possession of collectors locally and internationally as well as the National Museum and Art Gallery. After exhibitions at several group showings at home and abroad, Lovelace held his last one-man show at the Republic Bank in 1993.

A multi-faceted elder of the arts, Lovelace is also known as a composer, writer and singer. He was a founding member of the Eastern Musical Singing Group and a member of the RVI Choir.

Given his lifelong contribution to aesthetic values and the fine arts in the country and his selfless dedication to the improvement of young artists, Lewis Lovelace may well be considered a national living treasure.

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Section 2

November 24, 1997

Pages 2 and 3

Three-score and four years ago, in the days when trains used to chug across the island, Lewis Lovelace picked up a paintbrush to start work as a signpainter for the railway.

Soon he wanted to do more than paint letters and thus began a life-long fascination with art.

Tribute will be paid to Lewis Lovelace - now 83 years old and said to be the oldest living practicing artist in Trinidad and Tobago today - in an exhibition of his paintings.

Titled "Yesterday, Today and Forever", the exhibition, staged by Studio 66 Art Support Community of Barataria, runs from today till Sunday at the foyer of the Eric Williams Financial building, Independence Square, Port of Spain. It opens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. On display will be the artist's impressions of Trinidad's landscape as well as rural and urban scenes.

Born in Port of Spain on August 19, 1914, Lewis Lovelace - elder brother of Commonwealth prize-winning novelist Earl - moved to Toco as a young boy. He developed a fascination for the natural beauty of the countryside and acquired a love for painting and drawing as a means of self-expression.

In 1933, at the age of 19, he joined the Trinidad Government Railways as a sign painter, and worked there until the last train ran on December 28, 1968.

During his 35-year stint as a public officer Lovelace developed a love for the arts. Though largely self-taught, he pursued a course in painting and decoration with the Board of Industrial Training.

A stalwart activist of the Trinidad Art Society during the 1950s and 1960s, Lewis Lovelace has been a source of inspiration to many of our leading artists and in particular young, aspiring artists who have sought his experience, expertise and goodwill throughout his life.

From 1969 to 1971, he taught art for the Community Development Division (East St George), spanning areas from St Joseph to Arima. "A born teacher", he developed his own diagrams and teaching aids, which he still has in his possession.

In 1972, Lewis Lovelace was invited to compile a biographical listing of "all important artists of Trinidad and Tobago" for the German General Pictorial Art Encyclopaedia. His list of achievements includes murals painted for the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as sets for the local motion picture production of The Right and the Wrong.

Lewis Lovelace's paintings are in the possession of collectors locally and internationally as well as the National Museum and Art Gallery. Having exhibited at several group showings at home and abroad, Lovelace, at 79 years, held his last one-man show at the Republic Bank in 1993.

A multi-faceted elder of the arts, Lewis Lovelace is also known as a composer, writer and singer. He was a founding member of the Eastern Musical Singing Group and a member of the R.V.I. Choir. He as also a founding member of the Light Operatic society; a writer of several short plays in addition to writing and directing drama presentations for the D'Abadie Village Group during the early years of the Best Village Competition.

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