Jamaican Artist brings the World to Natick through Paintings

Gilda Sharpe Etteh is an award-winning artist and educator living in Natick. Born and raised in Jamaica, Etteh brings the vibrant colors, shapes and cultures of her homeland to Metrowest through her striking paintings and drawings.
A Painter’s Paradise
Etteh grew up in a Jamaican countryside, where the sprawling landscapes inspired her to create. She describes herself from age three onward as “drawing everything around me.” With pencil or brush in hand, she depicted seascapes at sunset, houses on the Port Antonio hills and the scenic views on her way to school, among many others.
Similarly, religious traditions were a constant source of creative inspiration. Many different cultures made an impression on the young artist, including services and celebrations of Jamaican folk religions Cumina and Pocomania, as well as Pentacostal and Rastafarian faiths.
“I would capture the movement of the dancing legs and worshiping hands in my artwork,” she described. “Much of my artwork is motivated by the desire to depict the religious traditions I grew up around, and the desire to find out more about God and creation.”
Her homeland, where many cultures coexisted and intersected, was a fascinating place for her to observe. She especially remembers the carnivals and festivals held near where she lived. “We would celebrate many cultures with street parades and floats. I witnessed masquerades from African, Taíno Indian, Arawak Indian, Chinese and East Indian cultures. There would be parade floats depicting underwater fish and coral reefs,” she recalled.
Learning Through Creativity
In high school, Etteh began to win awards for her paintings and to make a name for herself, but she longed for new experiences beyond Jamaica.
“As a young adult I had had many one-woman exhibitions; however, I had always wanted to study in the United States,” Etteh explained. “I gathered my portfolio and left Jamaica in 1981 to study painting at the Massachusetts College of Art.”
She later received a master’s in education from Tufts University, where she focused on the benefits of arts training in schools, working alongside experts from Boston University and the Maryland Institute College of Art to complete her thesis. She went on to teach at nearly all educational levels, from kindergarten through college.
“I think all children should be able to experience art and have it taught to them in schools,” Etteh said. “Research has shown that children develop and excel in school when the arts are part of the school curriculum. Throughout my tenure as an educator, using art to improve language skills has been an integral part of my teaching practice.”
Making Natick Home
Twenty-seven years ago, Etteh moved to Natick with her family. One of the aspects of that drew her to the town was the quality of the education. “Natick’s public schools have a great arts curriculum, and I fully supported my sons as they grew up and participated in arts and music programs,” she said.
Artistically, Etteh has been more involved in the arts scene in Boston than in the suburbs, and has participated in solo shows and group exhibits in the city. Besides a group art show she participated in at Gallery 55, 55 South Main St., she has been enjoying other local artists’ work throughout Natick.
In the future, Etteh hopes to create a space for herself, figuratively and literally, in the Natick arts community.
“For years I have had my small studio space in my house. This year, I had a wall taken down and opened up the space, turning it into a house gallery, which I want to open up to the community,” she explained.
Etteh hopes to show her artwork and collaborate with her son, Enobong Etteh, a musician and singer/songwriter. She has also set her sights on Natick Artists Open Studios (NAOS), an annual visual arts event that takes place in October. “My goal is to be a part of the NAOS, which I have wanted to do for years since coming to live in this town,” she said.
To learn more about Etteh, visit www.aipeng.org.