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CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT
UWI COMMUNITY NEWS
FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS
Darron Small grew up
in old Tunapuna.
Not the paved and well-populated town it
has become, the Tunapuna of his youth was
fenceless and forested, fertile ground for his
youthful imagination.
“I came from a place where the
imagination was facilitated,” Darron says. “You
could go off in the bush and create a whole new
world from your imagination.”
This childhood experience was a major
contributor to his passion for art, a passion that
has allowed him to blossom into a talented and
prolific artist in several mediums. One of the
recent highlights of his artistic career was the
presentation of his painting Merchandise by the
Government of Trinidad and Tobago to Cuban
President Raul Castro on his visit to T&T in
December 2011.
But Darron has another career – library
assistant in the West Indiana Division of the
Alma Jordan Library.
“Library assistants are liaisons between
the students and the library,” he explains. “We
are here to assist them in locating resources for
their research.”
And though the quiet and contemplative
environment of a library is very different to the
outdoors, Darron has received a different kind
of inspiration during his more than 15 years on
the St Augustine Campus.
Artist in
residence
By Joel Henry
PHOTOS OF
DARRON SMALL
BY Aneel Karim
“Working at the university has opened
worlds for me. It has expanded my horizon,” he
says during our interview in the secluded Rare
Books and Special Collections section of West
Indiana.
“We have artifacts, documents, maps,” he
says, gesturing around the room at its contents,
“a plethora of information and items that aid in
the understanding of West Indian history and
the Caribbean way of life. Anything that has to
do with the Caribbean and its people will be
found here.”
Darron’s experience at the library, as well
as his completion of both the certificate and
masters’ programmes in Visual Arts at The
UWI, has contributed to the development of his
art.
He says, “very early in my career, like
many artists schooled here, I did still life work.
But as my career progressed I engaged various
topics and social issues. For a long time, ten
years I think, one of the major focuses of my
work has been the transatlantic movement of
people and slavery.”
Darron’s interests come through in
works like Yemayah, Slave Ship and the
aforementioned Merchandise. He
creates in several mediums – pen,
chalk pastel, photography and
even film. But acrylic paint
is his favourite:
Working at the university has
opened worlds for me. It has
expanded my horizon.
“By inclination I am a painter. I rather
enjoy working with acrylics because they are
more versatile and forgiving.”
Darron enjoys other aspects of his job.
Speaking on a career at the university that
began in July of 1999, he smiles, “yes, a
long-serving sentence. As with any job there
are challenges but you rise to the occasion.
My favourite thing about working here is my
interactions with the public.”
He adds, “it’s interesting. I’ve learned
quite a lot during my time here and I have been
given access to information that ordinarily I
would not have. It’s been a great education.
The opportunities for education and self-
advancement are one of the biggest benefits
that working at The UWI has given me.”
“Merchandise”, Darron’s painting that was presented to Cuban President
Raul Castro by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
A pen
and ink
study titled
Yemayah
