The making a fine arts gallery — Grand Turk style.

Story & Photos By Titus de Boer

The TDB Fine Arts Gallery is the TCI’s newest art gallery, operated by the country’s longest established art promoter Titus de Boer.

When the unexpected meets artistry, magic happens. Discover how a dreary afternoon in Germany led to the birth of a fine arts gallery in the Turks & Caicos Islands, weaving a tale of resilience, creativity, and a dash of serendipity. This is the captivating and vibrant journey of TDB Fine Arts, where the echoes of the past meet the promise of the future, and every artwork tells a story as colourful as the Islands themselves.

The beginnings—Bamboo Gallery

On a grey, cold, and rainy afternoon in January 1990, I found myself amidst the familiar landscapes of Hamburg, Germany—my birth city. Only a month prior, I had relocated to the Turks & Caicos Islands. I had found a place to live on Providenciales, paid a deposit on a retail space for my art gallery, and navigated the labyrinth of bureaucracy inherent in an overseas move—establishing a bank account and applying for a work permit and business license, among other things. This brief return to Germany was to tie up loose ends, a seemingly simple task. Yet, in those days, the complexities of German bureaucracy made those of TCI appear a walk in the park. Ironically, today both have evolved into equally convoluted systems. Anyway, this was it. I was leaving Germany for good, after 11 years, heading back to the region of my childhood. 

On that dreary afternoon, when the phone pierced the silence it brought long-distance news from the Turks & Caicos Islands. “Titus,” came the voice of the local real estate agent, who, in a twist of fate, is now the Honourable Premier, “I regret to inform you that your business license application has been denied. But don’t worry, we’ll resolve this upon your return.” His words lingered as I hung up. A few weeks later, I found myself sitting in the business licensing office in Providenciales. “So, it’s a retail license you were denied?” a friendly and sympathetic official questioned. “What exactly is your intended business?” After I clarified that a fine arts gallery wasn’t akin to a typical retail shop, her gaze lifted, a smile curled, and she declared, “Alright, let’s categorise this one as miscellaneous.” 

The art shows hosted by the Bamboo Gallery in the 1990s showcased local and quality Haitian art. Here, Titus de Boer stands with the late Phillip Outten, one of the local artists often featured at the gallery.

With my “miscellaneous” business license and work permit in hand, the Bamboo Gallery threw open its doors in April 1990 at The Market Place. The ensuing 14 years were a symphony of bliss. The art business is my confessed love. It intertwined my days with not only intriguing, imaginative souls—the artists—but also with clients whose penchant for art made them a delight to interact with. The art shows hosted by the Bamboo Gallery in the 1990s became synonymous with “must-attend,” showcasing local and quality Haitian art, and as time unfurled, pieces from as far as Africa and South America were included.

Ultimately, my persistent refusal to acknowledge the inevitable shift of business activity to the Grace Bay area led to the downfall of the Bamboo Gallery. By the time I recognised this transition, numerous other galleries had emerged, dominating the art scene with their “Grace Bay Beachscapes.” A change was imperative and so it was time to relinquish the Caicos and venture towards the Turks Islands.

A new chapter—TDB Fine Arts 

In the spring of 2021, during a conversation with a friend in the nation’s capital the idea was casually suggested: “Why not open an art gallery on Grand Turk?” We were exchanging stories about how the pandemic had impacted our businesses; for me, the 2020 shutdown had been nothing short of devastating. It was time for a fresh start and the notion of re-entering the art business had been lingering in my mind. Between 2021 and 2023, I embarked on a journey to turn this idea into reality. I forged relationships with new artists, re-established connections with old ones, reached out to collectors and art publishers, and scouted for a location for the new gallery. By the summer of 2023, I thought that the perfect space for a gallery had been found, a spacious gallery that could effortlessly host anywhere between 50 to 80 masterpieces at any given moment. The location, while not a masterpiece itself, appeared sufficiently promising and so I set my sights on an opening slated for November 1, 2023.

Dwight Outten and Titus de Boer share a light moment critiquing the artist’s “Caicos Chronicles” series.

But as the legendary John Lennon once quipped, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” And indeed, life had quite the comedic plot twist in store for our Grand Turk gallery. Just when we were ready to unveil our creation, life chortled and threw us a googly (a curveball for non-cricketers) that would make any seasoned bowler jealous. Not only had the lease conditions for our chosen venue gone from “fair” to “suboptimal,” but it turned out that our unit was as mouldy as a fine wedge of Roquefort cheese. A quick reality check forced us into an artful escape act—we needed a new location, and we needed it yesterday.

When life throws you a googly, staying optimistic becomes a challenge. The simple fact was that we found ourselves in a situation where we had a collection of paintings ready to go on walls but no gallery space to call our own. To provide context to those unfamiliar with the nation’s capital, retail space isn’t exactly abundant here, a fact confirmed by calls to several friends and associates. Then one morning as I engaged in a casual conversation with an acquaintance in Grand Turk, he turned to me and suggested, “Why don’t you consider moving into the museum? We have a small space in there that could be perfect for showcasing art—though I must warn you it is quite petite.” Later that day when we viewed the space, I finally understood what he meant and I couldn’t help but be puzzled by his suggestion. “Quite petite? Try minuscule,” I thought to myself as I stood in the 116-square-foot former foyer of the splendid and historically significant “Guinep House,” which serves as the home of the Turks & Caicos National Museum. 

It is said that “things happen for a reason” and it was time to look at all the positives of this move—and there were several. For starters, the location and the address, Turks & Caicos National Museum, are hard to beat, parking is ample, and your footfall is guaranteed. As the weeks rolled by, with freshly painted walls and carefully selected artwork, I grew increasingly convinced that perhaps this was a hidden blessing. When an astonishing 45 works of art graced the walls, it became abundantly clear that it was indeed a stroke of good fortune in disguise. 

As Picasso wisely stated, “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.” On December 4, 2023, as dozens of visitors enthusiastically appreciated local art and photography adorning the walls of Grand Turk’s newest and only fine arts gallery, I knew that a new and exciting chapter in Turks & Caicos art history had begun.

Here’s to the Renaissance!—The artistic marvel of “Made in the TCI”

I’ll be perfectly honest, when the TDB Fine Arts Gallery opened within the Turks & Caicos National Museum on that memorable day in December 2023, I was uncertain about what to expect. While many established artists from the Bamboo Gallery such as Dwight Outten, Benada Oduma, Pamela Leach, and Patricia Moore had joined TDB Fine Arts, along with new talents like Grand Turk’s Aysha Stephen, I remained uncertain about the reception from the buying public.

Grand Turk artist Aysha Stephen poses with tourists and her latest “Cool Donkey” creation.

Grand Turk differs significantly from Provo, where tourists with substantial spending power abound. In contrast, Grand Turk attracts a different type of tourist, with fewer extravagant spenders, and much of the local business relies on cruise ship visitors. I questioned whether they would purchase local art from a gallery proudly showcasing “Made in the TCI.” Now, after over half a year, I can confidently affirm that they indeed do.

Just as it was years ago in April 1990 when a gallery first opened its doors in Providenciales, an island with just 4,000 residents and fewer than 50,000 annual tourists at the time, TDB Fine Arts isn’t just an art vendor—it’s a storyteller. It shares the narrative of the TCI art scene—from a former supermarket shelf-stacker turned local scene painter, to Grand Turk’s artistic sensation Aysha Stephen, renowned for her iconic “Cool Donkeys” capturing hearts worldwide, and even a small community of artists in Haiti who have finally found a dependable outlet for their artistry. This is the vibrant tale of the TCI art scene. The term “renaissance” denotes a revival or renewed interest in something. Grand Turk, with its newest and now sole art gallery, is making such a profound impact in the regional art world that it might just be apt to declare, “Here’s to the Renaissance!”

To learn more, contact Titus at (649) 247-1108, email tdbtci@aol.com, or visit www.facebook.com/tdbfinearts.