TropicalFete’s Award of Excellence 2013 – Richie Richardson

This years awards goest to…

Tropicalfete will be honoring Richie Richardson – The Designing Mind with the Tropicalfete Award of Excellence. Richie’s work covers multiple genres & disciplines. Curating art exhibits, Fashion, Masquerade Carnival, Theatre and Halloween. Hundreds of Logos, original T- shirt designs and New York Subway campaigns.

The presentation of the award will be at Tropicalfete top 100 Countdown of the top international Caribbean songs for the year at Negril Village Caribbean Restaurant • Lounge 70 West 3rd Street, New York, New York Thursday December 5th 2013.

Tropicalfete’s Award of Excellence honors the accomplishments & contributions of persons and/or organizations that have had a roll in the development of the Caribbean Community. The achievement of the awardees is significant on an international level where their work had a positive impact to the Caribbean community in the areas of culture, social, sports or economics.

From art to fashion to carnival to the theater, Richie demonstrates extraordinary versatility with a creative impact that is on the cutting edge of creative appeal. What he started more than twenty-five years ago in Trinidad, has blossomed, bloomed and although crystallized here, transcends time with works of beauty, poise and grace.

Mr. Richardson comes from a third generation artist family. His father, Mr. Carlton Richardson, was his original influence for becoming a designer, as he gained notoriety in Trinidad and Tobago as an artist. This had a positive effect on young Richie. An added inspiration to Richie was also Mr. Carlyle Chang . . . Mr. Chang is considered the Van Gogh of Caribbean artist for works he exhibited on an international level, where he presented Carnival and folkloric traditions of Trinidad and Tobago through art.

Under his first company RICHART CREATIONS, Richie Richardson was commissioned as an independent designer/consultant by the Express Daily News, a national publication of Trinidad and Tobago, along with the conglomerates of Neal & Massey and Holiday Foods. With RICHART CREATIONS, major phases of graphic art work were entertained by this enterprise. It was while building his clientele with RICHART CREATIONS, that a natural transitional phase as a designer developed by printing fabrics. Fabric work was based on the needs of the local market. Richardson fabrics were a hit with the local fashion market, so much so, that Mr. Richardson began utilizing his talents as an artist to complement his birth as a designer.

Following his success with RICHART CREATIONS, JASS CREATIONS, a fashion design company was born in 1986. Under JASS, he produced various collections, bearing his signature abstract motifs and prints to complement his designs. JASS was at the forefront in packaging and marketing its original fashions to the Caribbean.
In 1993 Richardson ventured into a new artistic arena in design and Masquerade Theater, when he co-founded RAGE PRODUCTIONS NY INC., a masquerade design and productions’ company with Sylma Pachot.

Richie Richardson achieved another creative milestone, when he moved to New England in 2008. And in 2009, in association with Diane Horn and WVEW 107.7 FM, he launched his first Halloween Parade and Party entitled Myth & Magic in Brattleboro, Vermont. The parade was successfully produced again in 2010 and 2011.

In 2012, Richardson decided to move the parade to a new location and in collaboration with Ellen Clegg-Found Sounds and Northampton Center for the Arts; he produced his first Halloween Parade in Northampton entitled Circle of Love.

(2012) Produced, CIRCLE OF LOVE, his first Halloween Parade in Northampton..

(2012) Designed and produced Wiu-Tiu 2Blue for New York Jouvert, a collaboration with
designer Gregory Young. This was the first interracial band to be presented at
New York Labor Day Carnival.

(2011) Produced, Brattleboro Halloween Parade 3 entitled IMAGINE.

(2010) Produced, Brattleboro Halloween Parade 2 entitled XS RED.

(2009) Produced, MYTH and MAGIC, his first Halloween Parade and Party in Brattleboro
Vermont.

(2009) Commissioned to designed and produce costume, Angel Novus for the Champlain
400 Parade in Burlington on Saturday July 11, 2009

(2009) Conceived and curated Without Faces, a collective exhibition in NY, June to July at
CLCC Caribbean Literary & Cultural Center @ Brooklyn Public Library Flatbush
Branch.

(2009) Produced, An Elegant Tea & Fashion for The United Methodist Women of Bushwick.

(2009) Launched the Richie Richardson Show Friday March 20, 2009 on WVEW107.7
Brattleboro Community Radio
(2008) Curated Diversity, a collective exhibition at the World Open Center NYC.
(2008) Curated Circle of Peace in collaboration with CARIB, a Youth Exhibition held at the
World Open Center Gallery in NYC.

(2008) Honored by the City of New York on the 46th Anniversary of Trinidad &
Tobago Independence for his creative contributions to NYC.

(2008) Curated Art in the Park, a collective of art, music and performance at
Linden Bushwick Gardens.

(2008) Produced Christmas in the Park at Linden Bushwick Gardens, celebrating the
season with music.

(2008) Launched the Richie Richardson Art & Lifestyle Show Sunday October 19, 2008
on AllBlackRadio.com NY.

(2006) Curated Caribbean Anthology a collective exhibition at Gallery 26 downtown
Brooklyn NY.

(2006) Winner of Caribbean Peoples’ Flag international design competition.

(2003) Produced year end Parang party for the Nathan Cummings Foundation, New York.
He designed an interactive costume project, which the staff decorated.

(2003) Designed logo for River Art Walk of Newburgh. In 2004 the City of Newburgh
Commissioned his logo design, to produce community banners for the city.

(2001) Participated in Smithsonian’s 35th Annual Folk life Festival at the National Mall
Washington DC, featuring New York City. Exhibited Masquerade illustrations
& costumes and conducted lectures.

(1999 Designed logo/corporate identity for CWHA Caribbean Women’s Health
Association.

(1998 Designed costumes and set for The Big Masquerade an Off Broadway play by
Caribbean Theater USA. Hosted at the Metropolitan Theater Playhouse of NY.

(1997) Designed and produced XS JOUVERT for RAGE PRODUCTIONS, his first Jourvert
Morning presentation for Labor Day Carnival.
A certificate of merit was awarded to RAGE, by NY Senator Marty Markowitz.

(1997) Designed Carnival King KAMEHAMEHA, for Utica Boys presentation of HAWAIIAN
JAMBOREE.

(1995) Invited to London in December by Nostalgia Steel Orchestra to conceptualize and
design a Carnival production, entitled MERCURY MYTH & MAGIC for Nottinghill
Carnival 1996.

(1995) Commissioned by Scarlibis Cultural Arts of London to conceptualize and design,
their first presentation for Nottinghill Carnival ‘96. , Entitled XS RED.

(1995) Commissioned by Upwords International Inc., to design company image/logo
and to illustrate a line of post cards and greeting cards.

(1995) Exhibited Carnival costumes and illustrations at Brooklyn-Carnival 2, a multi media
exhibit held at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus.

(1993) Presented Rage Masquerade costumes at the UN International Staff Day.

(1992) Commissioned by the band Savage NY, to design their Labor Day presentation
A TRIBUTE TO BROADWAY. Which was exhibited at the Castillo Cultural Center NY
entitled THEATER OF THE STREETS, an Exhibition of Costume, Illustration, and
Photography of the Masquerade Band, Savage.

(1992) Commissioned by Positive People (NY largest producer/distributor of ethnic T-shirts)
creates a new generation of designs and develop a subway poster campaign

(1990) While employed at Conceptual Arts, he created their logo. Designed record label for
Forceful Records (Full Force). Designed merchandise for Cameo US Tour, Sister
Carol & Human Rights World Tour.

(1990) Designed gown for Miss Caribbean-USA Talented Teen Pageant, whi