Calvert Jones, Mansourieh’s entertainer, signs a deal with Elizabeth Sloan

Calvert Jones signs with International Business Development

Artist Vincentian Calvert Jones continues to push boundaries and his latest move has seen him sign with Elizabeth Sloan, a business development and deal creation firm with operations in the Caribbean and West Africa.

Jones is known locally, regionally and internationally through his brand of “tropical realism” art.

A visual artist and self-taught entrepreneur, he gifted Prince Harry a November 2016 portrait, and more recently this week, Jamaican star Andre “Popcaan” Sutherland received a piece from Jones depicting the ballroom artist and his mother, whom he fondly refers to as “Miss Rona.”

Jones said Monday that he has signed an agreement with Elizabeth Sloan that will help him with business development services specifically related to the intellectual property (IP) sector.

Jones said the company has worked with names such as UNESCO, the British Council and Mastercard, and while it is a small company, Elizabeth Sloane is a highly professional organization with a global reputation.

“They know all about the trends that are happening now with blockchain globally and are in the creative space, so it’s a better fit for me than traditional development companies,” said Jones.

He said he first learned about Elizabeth Sloane when he was approached by Melanie Winter, managing director of Elizabeth Sloane, to purchase an edition of “one of my most treasured paintings” which he calls “The Last Colonial Meal”.

Jones said, “…and I told her it wasn’t for sale…and after I did the research on the company I discovered they were in many different areas, some of which I wanted to help with.” She later contacts Wynter and he explains why he won’t sell the painting, but he tells her he wants to be involved in things like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and a documentary series about his work.

“That’s when the conversation started and it evolved into a deal on the table where they said look, we can help you through the process because that’s the business side of things we can do and we’ll help chart the way,” Jones said.

He said that as a Vincentian artist, it feels good to have a company in a place like Jamaica interested in working with him because these companies only work with you based on a certain standard.

“Jamaica is world famous for its creators, last year the two major TV stations called me for interviews, this is just proof that people in the greater Caribbean are looking at us, St. Vincent,” Jones commented while adding that SVG work isn’t just his artwork alone that The multi-island state not only makes waves out of the country, but also employs musicians and artisans.

He said he hopes to do a documentary series around one of his paintings and there are a lot involved in a process of this nature including business development frameworks, and this is where Elizabeth Sloan will be supporting myself and my brand.”

“I also hope to do things that will help the environment and things that will address social issues,” Jones stressed while adding that to be set with Elizabeth Sloane, more doors would be opened while he wouldn’t come across as just another “hustler.”

He encourages other local creators to work on developing their businesses so that they can move into the regional and international spaces.

Managing Director at Elizabeth Sloan Melanie Winter says Jones has engaged Elizabeth Sloan, a global business management firm to support the marketing of his intellectual property (IP) for which he has a high-quality portfolio.

“Elizabeth Sloan’s team will work closely with Calvert-Jones to unlock the commercial value of his work,” said Winter, adding that the company’s engagement with Jones will aim to drive his work into markets such as North America, Africa and the Caribbean.

About the artist

Calvert Jones is an entrepreneur and self-taught visual artist. His career spans photography, video, graphic design, interior design, and fine art. He is also the Director of Invest SVG.

Calvert is the son of Sandra and Sydney Jones. Growing up in Cedars Village and rural St. Vincent and the Grenadines, that meant a forty-minute daily commute to the capital, Kingstown, to go to school. These trips cemented in his mind the images necessary to stimulate his creative potential. He sold his first piece of art at the age of twelve.

For a few years, Calvert had been navigating traditional jobs but threw in the towel in May 2010. It was a bold, risky move leaving his last lucrative full-time position as director of regional operations for telecoms company Karib Cable, where he had to change island accommodations with solid, secure compensation.

After giving up his job, he immediately got involved in branding. This expanded his understanding of the psychology of colors, and the way colors affect and communicate mood. This led to the birth of Tropical Realism. This art style can be described as a synergy of Impressionism, Realism, Cubism, Pop Art and is traditionally Caribbean nostalgic, consisting of captivating landscapes, cultural activities, animals and plants. He describes this art as “nostalgic.”

Caribbean” because it captures the essence of our tropical paradise, the atmosphere, the passion, the colors and the lifestyle we enjoy.

Calvert is passionate about philanthropy, environmental issues, health, food security and social justice. He hopes to use his art and canvas to influence society culturally and educationally and to bring together aspects of hospitality, lifestyle, food and drink, and conservation. He hopes to show other creators how the industry can really make a difference. You can expect documentaries and feature films as expansions of his artwork.

His optimism and appreciation for all of life is his fuel.