Gillian Bishop awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) in the sphere of arts and culture during the 2020 National Awards
Michelle Loubon
“It’s a sobering feeling for me. You have a responsibility at the end of the day. You have to do it in such a way, your country can feel proud.”
So said acclaimed Woodbrook jeweller and designer Gillian Bishop after she had received the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) in the sphere of arts and culture during the 2020 National Awards from President Paula-Mae Weekes, at St Ann’s, earlier this year.
Bishop had the double pleasure of witnessing Dr. Wayne Frederick, chair of Surgery at Howard University, Washington, DC, USA, receive the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the sphere of medicine and education. She had designed the medal.
Another defining moment was when development consultant Terry Ince received the Medal For the Development of Women in the sphere of development of women’s rights. Again, Bishop had designed the medal which was commissioned by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Bishop also said the event was bittersweet since her late beloved sister, Pat Bishop, was not present to share in her milestone. Bishop, a musicologist and historian, died on August 20, 2011, while attending a meeting with former planning minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie and other cultural stakeholders.
Fellow artist Carlisle Harris, a visual artist, received the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) in the sphere culture and education. Reflecting on Bishop’s accomplishment, he said: “Gillian is a fine jewelry designer. I have purchased work from her. It’s always hard to find people who are as gifted as she is. Maybe they are there. But they have not come to the fore.”
Sharing his sentiments on his award, Harris said: “It has give some celebrity status. It’s nice to have some recognition given to you for your long hours and years of work. It’s fresh on their minds. So there will be an avalanche of congratulations. I appreciate it.”
NORTH STAR IS TO CONNECT YOU
Bishop’s citation said: “Bishop co-founded The Signature Collection, a company that sells precious one-of-a-kind jewelry. She has created costume designs for many performing arts entities, designed many major trophies and awards, jewelry and gifts for various world leaders and ceremonial jewelry and vestments for the Roman Catholic and Anglican bishops of the region. Bishop’s work is held in private collections all over the world.”
Often, Bishop embarks upon the onerous task of fashioning pieces with “no set formula”. She also creates trophies and specially-commissioned official gifts in exotic woods, embellished with copper, silver and brass. But she rises to the occasion magnificently by employing intense research and reading on the “subject”.
Bishop said: “People come to you with the most impossible things to do. You have to create a tribute. Like the President is going away to meet the Queen of Spain. I gasp, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do?’ They just throw you the wolves.”
Bishop added: “You have no set formula. You are reading and trying to get into the person’s mind. You have to decipher what they are all about. You have to bring relevance. My north star is to connect with you. You can be in Timbuktu, Africa. I have to connect with you.”
GIFTS FOR CLINTON, RUDDER
Bishop shared two of her favourite memories.
Late prime minister Patrick Manning had commissioned her to create a piece for former US president Bill Clinton. She said: “Manning was going to the States. He had to take a piece for United States president Clinton. Having seen Clinton play the sax on comedian Arsenio Hall’s show? I thought I could create a mix of steelpan and sax. I did not know anything about Grover Washington (American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist), but he had mentioned him as a mentor. Ralph McDonald had written the song for Trinidad and Tobago, ‘Just The Two of Us’. Robert ‘Robbie Greenidge’ was playing the pan for the song. The gift was a CD and on the box was a steelpan and a sax. You have to take the gift and test for bombs.”
Another assignment involved San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello’s desire to give Belmont bard David Rudder the “keys to the city”. Bishop said: “I knew David had brought two pieces of the Berlin Wall, Germany. He got one for himself and one for Pat. Regrello and his team had bought a baby key. I told him to get a piece of rock from the San Fernando Hill. I mounted it. That’s the token Regrello presented David with. You have to learn about people.”
Offering a kernel of wisdom, Bishop said: “I am tired of people who go along blissfully ignorant. They make these horrible judgments.”
As the musical director of The Lydians, Pat Bishop was able to bring to audiences her talent as a musician.
Moving to the subject of her sibling, Gillian Bishop said: “Pat would often say, ‘Until all have crossed, none have crossed and some we have to carry.’ She would apply it to the Lydians because she knew not everybody was equal in the choir. She would say, ‘We can’t do it until everybody is involved.’ She developed them over time. You had to be patient and bring some along.”
A RISE MONUMENT TOOK SIX MONTHS
Among her most recent accomplishment was the Arise monument, which was created on behalf of the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago.
It stands like a proud sentinel at Treasury Building, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
Bishop said: “I took about six months. A lot of work.”
Prime minister Dr Keith Rowley unveiled the monument on Emancipation Day, August 1, after a ceremony in front of the Treasury Building on Independence Square. Treasury Building was the former location of Government House, where governor George Hill proclaimed Emancipation on August 1, 1834.
Her husband, Darrell Nathaniel, co-founder of the Signature Collection, died in 2015. She has a dog, Billy, and a parrot, Eidi (got him on Eid-ul-Fitr). During the lockdown, Bishop, who is not overly fond of street food, prepared saltfish accras and delicious poached fish in coconut milk. Quizzed about her work ethic, she said: “I try not to refuse a challenge. That’s probably why the body of work is so large. If I turned my back on a lot of work, I would not have this massive collection. “You have some talent. But unless somebody throws something at you, you don’t know where it’s at. You can easily say ‘I am not bothering’.”
More importantly, Bishop said: “I am a God-fearing woman. You are the vessel. I do believe a higher power guides your hearts and minds.”
