Maxine Walters Artist, author, art director, songwriter, DJ and sought after film line producer is at heart a visual artist, with a keen interest in assemblage art. This is evident in the work she makes, collects and the projects she art directs. Her calling started as a teen with an A1 Distinction in Art and came full circle after years in the film industry line producing and Art Directing numerous commercials, documentaries, music videos and the like. She developed a love for installation art specifically Dancehall, which has since extended to an ongoing collaboration with muralist and digital media artist Matthew McCarthy. The ultimate collector, Maxine has amassed over 4000 Jamaican Dancehall signs and has a formidable personal collection of international art. The signs have been exhibited globally and her book, “Serious Things A Go Happen, Three Decades of Dancehall Signs” was published in 2016. This comprehensive archive of the signs benefitting a Jamaican Cancer Hospice has proven to be a valuable asset to art students as a unique source of varied dancehall typography. For her tireless contribution in shaping and promoting Jamaican culture, Maxine received the ‘Order of Distinction’ (OD), a National honor from the Jamaican Government.

Matthew McCarthy is a Jamaica-based multimedia and installation artist. His work is influenced by the aesthetics of Jamaican music culture, particularly vintage reggae and dancehall. His appreciation of the visual forms emerging from that sphere has provided a touch point for expressing his messages in a style that feels familiar to his island home of Jamaica. McCarthy received his BFA in visual communication from The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica. His career as a street artist has allowed him to form long-lasting connections with various community spaces, with the aim of using public murals as a tool for community uplifting and storytelling. In recent years, his practice has evolved to include a range of media that engage and reference the rich musical history of Jamaica. He has exhibited globally and aims to continue the rich legacy of the powerful Jamaican storytellers and artists that came before him. In 2019, he was awarded The Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence for his contributions to nation building and creative achievements.