Heather Doram

Heather Doram is an Antiguan artist, actor, activist and educator, who is the designer of Antigua & Barbuda's national costume. In 2002 she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit (Antigua) in recognition of her lifetime achievements.

Heather Doram
Born
Antigua and Barbuda
CitizenshipAntiguan
EducationUniversity of the West Indies
Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts
Savannah College of Art and Design
Occupation(s)Artist, educator, activist, actor
Known forDesigning the national costume of Antigua and Barbuda

Biography

Born in Antigua, to a seamstress mother and a father who worked in sugar industries, Doram's family lived on a number of sugar estates due to her father's work.[1][2] She attended Antigua Girls’ High School in St John's and subsequently studied for an Associate Degree in Education from the University of the West Indies.[2] She returned to teach at her former school and a few years later was awarded funding to study for a BFA in Textiles at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston.[2][3]

In 1994 she received a scholarship which enabled her to study for a MA degree at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where her work was chosen to represent the university at the Venice Biennale.[4] After her graduation, SCAD also purchased the majority of her thesis portfolio for its permanent collection.[4] On her return to Antigua she worked for the Ministry of Education, advising them on arts curricula, and in 2003 was appointed Director of Culture.[2] Her works include a mural at V.C. Bird International Airport,[1] as well as collages and woven wall-hangings.[5] She designed award-winning carnival costumes designed with her husband Connie Doram.[2] In 2020 she called for revisions to be made to the Antigua Carnival costume judging criteria, in order to include and acknowledge the significance of new styles of mas (masquerade costumes).[6] She retired in 2006.[4][7]

In addition to her work as an artist and educator, Doram also has a successful acting career, which began in the 1990s. She has appeared in film, television and stage roles that include: The Vagina Monologues, The Sweetest Mango, and a monologue by Zahra Airall.[2]

National costume

In 1992 a competition was held to design a national dress for Antigua & Barbuda, and it was won by Doram.[8][9] The costume she designed is based on what women who worked as market vendors or bakers might have worn in 1834.[1] The costume for women includes a dress made from a "madras plaid of red, gold and green" which is then covered with a white pinafore, and headscarf.[1][10][8] The plaid was first designed in 1992 and formally adopted in 1994.[11] Men's costume includes a waistcoat in the same plaid, as well as a white shirt, black trousers and a straw hat.[10][8] A sample of the material is held at the Scottish Register of Tartans.[11] Since its inception, the national dress has been reinterpreted by many designers, and in 2012 the first National Dress Day was held on 26 October.[12]

Reception

Due to her focus on the heritage of Antigua and Barbuda in her work, Paget Henry has described Doram as a "nationalist" artist.[13]

Awards

References
  1. "Meet Antigua Artist Heather Doram". Yachting Mag. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. "HEATHER DORAM - THE ULTIMATE ARTIST OF ANTIGUA & BARBUDA". www.ba-theatre.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Heather Doram – U.S. Department of State". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  4. "Arts & Culture: Heather Doram". issuu. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  5. Fodor's (20 August 2013). Fodor's Caribbean 2014. Fodor's Travel. ISBN 978-0-7704-3226-3.
  6. "Calls for revamp of Carnival costume judging criteria". Antigua Observer Newspaper. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  7. "Heather Doram Artist". www.beaumarisartgroup.org.au. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  8. Kras, Sara Louise (2008). Antigua and Barbuda. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-0-7614-2570-0.
  9. Gall, Timothy L.; Hobby, Jeneen (2009). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Gale. ISBN 978-1-4144-4890-9.
  10. "Government of Antigua and Barbuda". ab.gov.ag. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. "Tartan Details - The Scottish Register of Tartans". 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  12. "National Dress Parade sets exciting tone for 31st Independence". www.antiguanice.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  13. Henry, Paget. "Visual Art in Antigua and Barbuda: Frank Walter and Walter Parker." Antigua and Barbuda Review of Books: 61.
  14. administrator. "Twenty-six winners awarded in the 2020 International Women's Day Women of Wadadli Awards – Directorate of Gender Affairs". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  15. "Women wow in award ceremony". Antigua Observer Newspaper. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2021.


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