President's Address
Greetings! My name is Nalini Akal, and I am the newly appointed president of The Women in Art Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (WIAOTT). Thank you for your interest in our flipbook for the 2022 exhibition "Signs".
WIAOTT recently celebrated 25 years and it certainly marked a new chapter in our history as a charity that has silently supported female artists and the youth of our country. Projects such as our Biennial Art competition which will occur next year has had an impact on many young and emerging artists. Last year we began our National Treasures colouring book which is only the beginning of this project stream, and we initiated a concept called Film Lab.
I remember our founder Fraulein Rudder with her maverick mind, fighting for female artists who at the time were considered "pots and pans artists", in other words only being able to create art between taking care of the home and family. Today we claim that title as women who create art, despite familial and work obligations. We recognise the strength of our artists and during the pandemic with the help of our executive and great team members, we formed a stronger online presence. We are still harnessing the power of this technological jump that was created for our artists and we truly are in a state of readiness for the opportunities that lie ahead.
Our website is alive with interactions via blogs and social media, our chat is filled with advice and information, and one can really feel the sense of community among our membership. This is also our first year extending our exhibition to Tobago and joining our Tobago Artists as they prepare for Carnival. I trust that support and awareness will increase for this vibrant group, and I assure you that if you blink you just might miss some crucial phases in our future development.
Nalini Akal
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