Valerie Belgrave

Valerie Belgrave (3 March 1946 – 23 August 2016)[1] was a Trinidadian artist, painter and author, who also composed music.

Biography

Valerie Belgrave was born and raised in Petit Bourg, San Juan, Trinidad. She attended St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando,[2] and continued her education at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia), in Canada, where she obtained a BA degree in painting and literature.[3][4] She took part in the 1969 sit-in staged by hundreds of students at the computer lab on the ninth floor of the university in protest against a professor who was accused of racism; the incident, which became the subject of a documentary called The Ninth Floor, is believed to have helped spark the 1970 Black Power Revolution in Trinidad.[5][6][7]

Her writings included the novels Ti Marie (published in 1988, and described as "a Caribbean Gone with the Wind)[3] and Dance the Water (2002), a play entitled Night of the Wolf (1991), and the 2007 children's book Adventures of the Magic Steelpan, as well as a photo memoir called Art for the People, launched in 2011.[8] She was also a painter and batik designer.[4]

Personal life

She was married to Ian "Teddy" Belgrave (who died in July 2013).[4] She had one son, Chenier Belgrave, who is a designer.[6]

References
  1. Rhoma Spencer, "Tribute to Valerie Belgrave", The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network, 28 August 2016.
  2. "A work of art", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 28 November 2011.
  3. Margaret Busby, "Valerie Belgrave", in Daughters of Africa, 1992, p. 681.
  4. "Artist Valerie Belgrave dies", TT Whistle Blower, 24 August 2016.
  5. Causbmille Hunte, "Valerie Belgrave laid to rest", Daily Express (Trinidad and Tobago), 27 August 2016.
  6. Peter Ray Blood, "From young radical to celebrated artist", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 16 October 2016.
  7. Valerie Belgrave, "Memories Of A Hot Winter: 1970 Retrospective", The Caribbean Review, 3 August 2017.
  8. "Valerie Belgrave launches 'Art for the People'", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 12 December 2011;via Repeating Island, 14 December 2011.
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