75th Anniversary of the Santa Marija Convoy Art Exhibition

Start Date & Time: 16/08/2017 - 12:00 am

End Date & Time: 16/08/2017 - 12:00 am

Following the first two 75th Anniversary of the Santa Marija Convoy commemoration events, ‘Son et Lumiere’ (held at Senglea waterfront) and ‘Concert’ (held at St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in Valletta), the third and last commemoration event organized by the FAA, the Santa Marija Convoy Art Exhibition, was held at St. George’s Band Club in Cospicua on the evening of Wednesday the 16th August 2017.  Jorg Sicot, on behalf of FAA, welcomed and thanked guests for their attendance and support to this third prestigious commemoration event.  In addition, Jorg extended the FAA’s gratitude to the following sponsors for their generous support:

• Kazin San George for hosting the event.
• Bormla Local Council for supplying the invitations and food.
• Attard & Co for the supply of wines.
• Farsons for the supply of water and soft drinks.
• Arts Council Malta, Exalco, Ecovis, Dhalia, Phoenicia Hotel for their continued support to all FAA’s cultural and heritage events.
• Jay and Alan Jones who obtained historic maps and documents from libraries and archives and for curating the information which supported the historic exhibition of artwork.

Mayor Alison Zerafa gave a short speech and declared the Art Exhibition open. Ms. Zerafa then welcomed historian Judge Joseph Galea Debono, President of the George Cross Island Association, who gave the background information about the artist Raymond Dominic Agius and his work. The artist’s work of 37 masterful paintings focused on attacking aircraft and most of the merchant ships and warships that were involved in the Operation Pedestal convoy during those uncertain days in August 1942.  Guests were informed that €500 from the proceeds of the sale of each of these paintings will go in full to the FAA to continue its valuable work for a better environmental and heritage protection in Malta.  Judge Galea Debono then introduced the artist Raymond Dominic Agius, who arrived in Malta from the USA to give his support to this commemoration.  Raymond Agius then gave a short speech saying that the paintings will be on exhibit and sale morning and evening up to the evening of Sunday 20th August 2017.

Following the speeches, guests were treated to drinks and light refreshments whilst viewing the masterful paintings exhibited, as well as viewing the ongoing DVD of Operation Pedestal and the Operation Pedestal display by Jay and Alan Jones.

Derek Moss

FAA Volunteer