About Us

National Gallery West is the National Gallery of Jamaica’s western branch at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre (formerly known as the Montego Bay Civic Centre) at Sam Sharpe Square. Based on a partnership among the St James Parish Council, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, and the Institute of Jamaica, the Montego Bay Cultural Centre was refurbished and offers a range of cultural programmes and facilities, including a bistro and a gift shop. The Centre is a major cultural and creative facility for the benefit of the people of western Jamaica and international visitors alike.

Two of the Institute of Jamaica’s divisions, namely the National Museum of Jamaica and the National Gallery of Jamaica, operate branches at the Centre, hosting permanent and temporary exhibitions and supporting programmes. National Gallery West, which is located in the domed building at the back of the Centre, offers four exhibitions per year, of which one focuses on the art of western Jamaica while the other exhibitions are based on exhibitions shown at the National Gallery of Jamaica in Kingston. Visitors can look forward to lively and varied exhibition programmes that cover all major aspects of Jamaican art, from the historic to the contemporary, and from the traditional to the avant-garde. Guided tours are available and educational programmes, including children’s art classes, are being developed.