The 30th Art of Reggae Exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica

In celebration of Reggae Month, the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ), in partnership with the International Reggae Poster Contest (IRPC), is pleased to announce the opening of The 30th Art of Reggae Exhibition on Sunday, February 23, 2025. The event will take place at the National Gallery of Jamaica, 12 Ocean Boulevard, beginning at 1:00 PM. Attendees will enjoy a special performance by the talented musicians from the Alpha School of Music.

This year’s exhibition will showcase the top 100 submissions from the 9th International Reggae Poster Contest, highlighting the theme “The Jamaican Roots of Hip Hop.” The exhibition pays homage to Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, the Kingston-born innovator whose influence helped shape hip hop culture.
The IRPC, founded by the late Michael Thompson and Maria Papaefstathiou in 2011, is a global initiative that celebrates reggae’s impact worldwide. The contest’s mission is to advocate for the creation of a Reggae Hall of Fame museum and performance center in Kingston, Jamaica, while also raising awareness for The Alpha Institute, formerly known as Alpha Boys School. Operated by the Sisters of Mercy, the institution provides education and vocational training for underprivileged youth, nurturing Jamaica’s next generation of musicians and artists.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, offering a unique opportunity to explore reggae’s influence on global music culture.
For more information, visit the NGJ blog at nationalgalleryofjamaica.wordpress.com or on their social media platforms.

The National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) is the largest and oldest public art museum in the English-speaking Caribbean. A division of the Institute of Jamaica (Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport), it currently operates from two locations in the capital city, Kingston, and Montego Bay. The custodian of Jamaica’s National Art Collection, its holdings boast a comprehensive aggregation of early, modern, and contemporary Jamaican works of art, as well as artwork produced by other Caribbean and international artists. Since its establishment, the museum has continually advanced its public offerings, which include active exhibitions and
engaging education programming, Gift and Coffee Shops, as well as Facilities Rental offerings. Its developments and success have reflected its mission: “To collect, research, document and preserve Jamaican, other related Caribbean art and related material to promote our artistic heritage for the benefit of future and present generations.”