Shopping in Jamaica: Local Art and Jewelery

Jamaica Art

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Beyond Main Street’s craft market and plethora of duty-free jewelry stores, there’s another place to drop some dough in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Harmony Hall occupies the second story of a 160-year-old gingerbread manse, about 15 minutes’ drive east of town. The art gallery and store has been open since 1981, when artist Annabella Proudlock acquired the property and began filling it with the work of her fellow artists and local craftspeople.

Art lovers converge from all over the island for the gallery’s seasonal exhibitions and craft fairs, and to snag the latest versions of Proudlock’s signature wooden Annabella boxes, each decoupaged with reproductions of popular prints. Year-round, visitors can peruse and purchase from the eclectic and colorful permanent collection, which includes work by emerging talents and established names such as Albert Artwell, Graham Davis and Gene Pearson. (We’re fans of the irreverent Queen Victoria series by painter Jonathan Routh, which depicts the 19^th-century monarch riding a unicycle and tightrope walking over waterfalls during fictional Jamaican vacations.)

Prices for art range from $40 to $5,500, and many souvenirs cost less than $20. 876-975-4222; harmonyhall.com. Closed Mondays. – SARAH GREAVES-GABBADON