It is my absolute pleasure as Patron of Cayman Art Week to extend my sincere thanks to all participating venues and artists this year. Having watched its growth over the past five years, I am continually amazed by the breadth and depth of creativity on display. Born out of lockdown, Cayman Art Week is a labour of love by founder Natalie Urquhart who has volunteered her time and energy to help address the pressures faced by our artistic community. Her solution was to provide a strategic platform that connects collectors, artists and venues, to support the growth of a healthy and sustainable art market. Now in its fifth year, the CAW platform was the missing link for our community and visitors to be able to experience Caymanian Art in an accessible and aligned way, both via the annual event and the wider resources on the Cayman Art Week website. 

In my role as Chairperson of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) – a Lead Partner of Cayman Art Week – I also want to thank the NGCI Team for their ongoing work. The Gallery's mission to promote, preserve and develop the visual arts in the Cayman Islands gives us a duty to support and nurture our creative community, to safeguard our National Collection, provide creative educational opportunities for future generations, and to connect our youth to the work of past and present cultural heroes. Through the Gallery's work, and via our collaborations with organisations like Cayman Art Week, we weave together our cultural heritage and our artists' forward looking expressions of Cayman’s developing cultural identity. Each of these simply stated steps take years of complex planning, academic application and dedicated administration by our entire NGCI team and the Cayman Art Week team, in conjunction with our Ministry of Culture and Heritage. 

It is a true honour to be part of this growth. As a philanthropist, I had the privilege of being mentored by a number of women who went before me, and it is my absolute privilege to support and congratulate Natalie Urquhart today on her vision for Cayman Art Week, to thank all of the Gallerists, Artists, Creatives, Partners, and committee members, and to celebrate the geometric growth of Cayman Art Week. I hope you enjoy the energy, fellowship and of course THE ART!