Artists, Chefs Put Final Touches on Exhibits and Menus at Baha Mar

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS –

Dede Brown – Artist, Fuze Art Fair

“It takes a lot of patience, a lot of teamwork, collaboration. And we just lean into that. You know, there’s no point in panicking. You know, you’re faced with various challenges along the way, and you just have to lean in and go with it.”

And with the festival less than a day away, that’s exactly what’s happening here at Baha Mar.

When Our News returned to the property today, things were starting to look a lot different.

The walls were going up, artwork was being installed, and artists were busy turning their ideas into reality.

Among them, Bahamian artist Dede Brown and her longtime friend and collaborator, Finn Maunder. Their installation is called Homecoming.

Finn Maunder – Artist, Fuze Art Fair

“So what we do is we spend time at your home, and we bring her into the sea, and we touch her, and we rework her, and we hammer her. So there’s a lot of tactile nature to the work, in an effort to engage an audience.”

And it’s not just Bahamian artists getting ready.

Venezuelan artist Victoria Ruiz travelled thousands of miles to be part of this year’s festival.

She’s here for the first time, showcasing her work under the title From Plants to Galaxy.

Victoria Ruiz – Artist, Fuze Art Fair

“Fuze has been so incredible. They printed out all the artworks for us here, and we had to bring all the costumes. We’re also going to be performing at the opening and at different times during the fair, so we have to bring all the costumes that are very delicate. So it was a process, but again, so humbling and so incredible, so perfect.”

And while the artists are doing their thing, there’s just as much happening on the culinary side.

Inside The Kitchen at Baha Mar, all of the master classes are being hosted, and senior sous chef Gabbie Sawyer says they’ve been working on this since September.

Gabbie Sawyer – Sous Chef, The Kitchen at Baha Mar

“Pallets and pallets of groceries. We need our team supporting us. We could not do this alone. It also takes support from our sponsors, our marketing team, our management team, and just know-how and organization to pull it all together.”

From French and Italian cuisine to plant-based dishes, guests will get a chance to learn from some of the biggest names in the culinary world.

But it’s not just the professionals who will be showing off their skills.

The Junior Culinary Showdown is also returning, giving young Bahamian chefs a chance to compete on a bigger stage.

Gabbie Sawyer – Sous Chef, The Kitchen at Baha Mar

“It’s so exciting to be able to host that, to see young Bahamian culinarians just showing out, using black box ingredients and just making the absolute most of it. We have guest chef judges this year, so we’re very excited to see that. And it’s in the ballroom, so that’s a new addition as well.”