
PM Holness appoints Theresa Roberts as new ambassadors / Special Investment Envoy
Instagram May 2023
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has appointed four new ambassadors who will also serve as Special Investment Envoys.
In a statement announcing the move the Office of the Prime Minister, OPM, says all four will play pivotal roles in attracting investment and driving economic growth. The four new Ambassadors/Special Investment Envoys are:
Mrs. Theresa Roberts
Ambassador/Special Investment Envoy for Culture and Arts
&
Mr. Adam Stewart
Ambassador/Special Investment Envoy for Tourism
Mr. Lloyd Carney
Ambassador/Special Investment Envoy for Technology
Mr. Dushyant Savadia
Ambassador/Special Investment Envoy for Technology
Jamaican-born UK-based businesswoman and philanthropist, Theresa Roberts’ private art collection represents the passion and creative skill of some of the island’s most talented artists.
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Dr Roberts (pictured above) said: “As Curator, after four years of preparation for the Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection exhibition, it was moving to witness the private view opening evening. I was honoured and humbled to see the appreciation of the visitors, and to have the exhibition opened by Rt. Hon Bruce Golding, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, who flew thousands of miles from Jamaica especially to be there.
“The University of Liverpool is my alma mater, and years ago I took my examinations in the Victoria Building before it was converted into the gallery and museum. It was wonderful to see how my life is again entwined with the building and with the University of Liverpool. I am delighted to have worked with the team at the Victoria Gallery and Museum on this historic exhibition for Liverpool.”
A programme of events and activities accompanies the exhibition. Details of these alongside further information about the exhibition can be found at this VG&M feature page.
`Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection’ opens to the public on Saturday, 19 February and runs until Saturday, 9 July 2022. Admission to the exhibition is free and the VG&M is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
Complementing the VG&M exhibition is `Retention of a Colonial Past’, a contemporary textile installation by Jamaican artist Desanna Watson Past. This is on display on the Ground Floor of LJMU’s Art & Design Building and Desanna Watson is artist in residence until March 9.
Photography: Ean Flanders
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Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection is an upcoming exhibition at the University's Victoria Gallery & Museum. The exhibition showcases the vibrancy and variety of contemporary Jamaican art. Kristina Rowe is one of the artist's whose work is featured in this exhibition. Here, Rowe talks about her educational background in art, two of her featured works and the meaning behind them.
Watch the Video
Former Prime Minister of Jamaica opens VG&M exhibition
The Rt Hon. Bruce Golding, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, opened the highly anticipated ‘Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection’ exhibition at the Victoria Gallery & Museum on Friday evening.
“Prestigious Scholarships“, February 2022
The exhibition features a mix of established names and emerging talent in painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media from Theresa Roberts’ extensive private collection.
Theresa Roberts herself was amongst the guests who braved stormy conditions to attend the celebratory event to mark the opening of the exhibition. Also in attendance was Basil Watson, the son of Jamaican painter, Barrington Watson, both of whose art work is on display in the exhibition.
The Rt Hon. Bruce Golding said: “It is a wonderful privilege for me to join that shining star of Jamaica, Theresa Roberts, and her husband, Andrew, and to have been asked to declare open the exhibition “Jamaica Making” – a showcasing of Jamaican art depicting our people, culture and experiences over our 60 years of independence.”
The exhibition is curated by Dr Amanda Draper from the Victoria Gallery & Museum and Dr Emma Roberts, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Program Leader of BA History of Art & Museum Studies at Liverpool John Moores University.
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Theresa Roberts’ private art collection to be shown in the UK
Victoria Gallery and Museum exhibit to celebrate Ja 60
“The Gleaner“, 20 February 2022
Jamaican-born UK-based businesswoman and philanthropist, Theresa Roberts’ private art collection represents the passion and creative skill of some of the island’s most talented artists.
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Theresa Roberts is a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur; founder and owner of the Jamaican Patty Co. based in Covent Garden.
Theresa was born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica and lived there until she moved to London when she was eight years old. She began her carefully curated collection as a way of staying connected to her childhood and having little pieces of Jamaica around her in London.
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Exclusive exhibition of artwork coming to Liverpool - Liverpool Echo
The Guide Liverpool, 1 February 2022
Theresa Roberts, is the founder and owner of the Jamaican Patty Co. based in Covent Garden.
Theresa, who left Jamaica aged eight, began her carefully curated collection to stay connected to her childhood while in London, began collecting works by the ‘greats’ of the Jamaican art world, later focusing on up and coming artists.
Theresa has a home on the island where she hosts annual residencies for the Royal Drawing School.
Theresa said: "I had what I describe as an ‘organic’ childhood, very simple and natural.
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A new exhibition showcasing the vibrancy and variety of contemporary Jamaican art since the country’s Independence in 1962 will open at the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery & Museum on Saturday, 19 February.
The University of Liverpool: "An exhibition showcasing the vibrancy and variety of contemporary Jamaican art since the country’s Independence in 1962. Jamaican-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Theresa Roberts has kindly lent from her extensive private collection. It shows a Jamaica beyond the tourist idyll - a country with its challenges but a strong sense of identity and culture."
The ‘Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection’ exhibition will feature more than thirty artworks from the extensive private collection of Jamaican-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Theresa Roberts.
It is the first exhibition entirely of Jamaican art to take place in the north-west of England and offers a comprehensive presentation of the best of Jamaican art since the 1960s.
The exhibition features a mix of established names and emerging talent, expressing their world through a blend of painting, sculpture, photography and mixed-media.
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Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection
Galleries 6 & 7, 19 February - 9 July 2022
“New on the scene in Ocho Rios is The Courthouse Art Gallery & Craft Café”
The Style Observer, 30 January 2022
New on the scene in Ocho Rios is The Courthouse Art Gallery & Craft Café, opened on December 18, 2021 by Wendy Facey, Dianne Belnavis and Gabi Belnavis.
The Courthouse
Art Gallery * Craft * Cafe
Milford Road, Ocho Rios, just across from Turtle River Park
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Closed on Monday.
The Jamaica Making: The Theresa Roberts Art Collection book accompanies the art exhibition and includes, among other things, an official welcome from the prime minister of Jamaica, an essay by Theresa Roberts and an introduction by eminent British-Jamaican art historian Edward Lucie-Smith. (Photos: www.whsmith.co.uk and www. blackfoodclub.com)
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Diane Abbott Attends Jamaican Art Private View For Black History Month – and Seriously Rates ‘We Belong’ By Human Rights Lawyer-Poet and Artist, David Neita
Black History Month Org B:M2021 - 19 October 2021
Labour’s Diane Abbott, the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington famously became the first black female MP to be elected into the British Parliament in 1987.
Ms Abbott attended the CharitableBookings.com Jamaican art launch event for Black History Month 2021, sponsored by Black History Month Magazine and Duppy Share Rum.
It was a living example of how incredibly far Jamaica has come on the world stage.
An exclusive private view was held in the Cadogan Square, London home of Jamaican Cultural Activist, Theresa Roberts on Fri 1st Oct. Roberts founded and owns her ‘Future Jamaica’ concept-store, The Jamacia Patty Company in Covent Garden and Liverpool Street.
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“Artists in Residence”
The Style Observer, 29 July 2018
Jamaica-born UK resident and promoter of all things Rock and fab Theresa Roberts has established The Hanover Grange Jamaica Residency in conjunction with Prince Charles’s Royal Drawing School.
Read the Jamaica Observer Article
Visit The Royal Drawing School - Residencies Jamaica Website
Hanover Grange's selected artists Oliver Macdonald Oulds and Cherie Smith
Jamaica Observer, 30 June 2019
The annual dinner for patrons and supporters of the Royal Drawing School hosted by Prince Charles and held at Buckingham Palace had a distinctly Jamaican theme this year.
The two keynote speeches were made by Oliver Macdonald Oulds and Cherie Smith, the two artists selected for the Hanover Grange Residency in Jamaica this year. Both speakers were enthusiastic about the opportunity afforded to them to work and paint in Jamaica for two weeks.
The Hanover Grange Residency is funded by Theresa and Andrew Roberts who are longstanding patrons of the Royal Drawing School, and Buckingham Palace habitues. This year they were joined by several individuals with Jamaican connections including celebrated fashion icon Ralph Lauren and family, philanthropist Michele Rollins and former US ambassador to Jamaica Brenda LaGrange Johnson.
Work from last year's Hanover Grange Residency was on display for the guests, who also included Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Viscount Linley, Lady Sarah Chatto, Demi Moore and Stephen Schwarzman, to enjoy.
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"When Jamaican art took over London!"
“Voice Online“, 23 August 2017
IT WAS a blessing to attend the recent art exhibition, 'Jamaican Spiritual' at St. Stephen Walbrook Church in the heart of The City of London.
The City of London, also known as The Square Mile, is home to The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and The Bank of England. It is essentially the hub of financial regulation, monarchical tradition and state religion in the United Kingdom.
It is within this context that 12 Jamaican artists thrust 18 amazing pieces of artwork unto the fabric of British society inviting stockbrokers, clergy, congregants, professors, pupils, medics, mendicants and more to view and absorb the phenomenal energy and vibe of their splendid and spiritually-significant works of art.
“Jamaican Spirituality on Display”
The Style Observer, 23 July 2017
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“Jamaican Spirituality on Display”
The Style Observer, 23 July 2017Read on ...
"DISPATCH FROM LONDON: Jamaican Spirituality on Display"
“Jamaica Observer“, 23 July 2017
Earlier this summer, in an interesting little church in Central London, St Stephen Walbrook, British Jamaican art cognoscenti and patron Theresa Roberts curated a small but absorbing exhibition showcasing “Jamaican Spiritual” art. The show ran from July 3 to July 14 and while I missed the opening I was able to catch the exhibition a few days before it closed. I was glad I did.
There were only 20 pieces drawn from private collections, galleries and the artist themselves, but the 20 works shown captured a reasonable representation of our artistic efforts in recent times.
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"Jamaican Spiritual Art And Its Relationship To Religion
by Edward Lucie-Smith"
“ArtLyst“, 8 July 2017
A small confession to make here: I wrote a brief text for the catalogue of this show because Jamaica is where I originally come from. The subject of the exhibition is Jamaican art, manifested in its relationship to religion.
The feeling is not absolutely always related to the Christian faith. There is a fine Art Deco bronze here, representing Orpheus with his lyre, in a state of ecstasy. It is the work of Edna Manley, generally considered to be the founder of a recognisably Jamaican school of artists. She was also an important political figure, married to Norman Manley, one of the chief pioneers of Jamaican independence, leader of the Jamaican Peoples National Party, Chief Minister from 1955 to 1959, and Premier of Jamaica fro 1959 to 1962.
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ArtRabbit: Artist Carl Abrahams
Exhibition 'Jamaican Spiritual'
3 Jul 2017 – 14 Jul 2017
Sep 2013
'Expressions of Güsten-Marr”
Art Jamaica recently curated EXPRESSIONS, the first exhibition of Gallery GM Read the article

Apr 2013
'Jamaica - Land She Loves”
Art collector Theresa Roberts on her passion for showcasing the work of Jamaican artists
Feb 2013
“The beauty of this country has taken my breath away, and the people are so welcoming and kind” Read the article
about Theresa Roberts by Janelle Oswald
'Jamaica's Been Framed'
Read the article
ART JAMAICA IN FASHION
Exhibition of fashion inspired by art in collaboration with Sharmain Forde Couture
8 – 13 August 2012, 27 Cork Street, London
"Art Jamaica in Fashion" is a show created by Art Jamaica in collaboration with Sharmain Forde Couture to celebrate elements of Jamaican culture which are world class but rarely exposed to the world outside Jamaica.

Theresa Roberts.
Images: THE STYLE OBSERVER JAMAICA, September 2012
Read the article Style Observer Art Jamaica Catalogue
24 Feb 2012
Mica Paris in Concert at Hanover Grange
International Recording Star Mica Paris was the headline act at a charity concert and cocktail party held at Hanover Grange, Jamaica, on 19th March.
The concert was in aid of The Edna Manley Foundation which was represented on the night by Patricia Ramsey
Supporting acts were Kevor Williams and Tallulah Rendell.
Gleaner Article online
Dec 2010
Art Crosses the Pond
Read the article in Jamaica-Observer (PDF)
Dec 2010
Art Crosses the Pond
Read the article in Jamaica-Observer (PDF)
ArtRabbit
Exhibition 'Art Jamaica'
21 Oct 2010 – 18 Nov 2010