Garlandstone Arts, LLC is committed to preserving and showcasing the incredible artwork of Half Moon resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This iconic property displays and features some of Jamaica’s best artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. In 2022, the estate of the Polish-born - Montego Bay transplanted, painter Michael Lester, was purchased with the intent to continue the legacy of Half Moon’s artistic endeavors. Over 600 pieces are included in this estate purchase, keeping Garlandstone busy with inventorying, digitizing, conserving, and displaying this collection.
Michael Lester (born Michał Leszczyński, 1906–1972) was a highly regarded artist and master mariner from inter-war Poland. Inspired by events observed through a seafarer’s watchful eye, his passion for the sea and his art was jettisoned by the devastating torrents of World War II. Finding himself without a homeland and his gallery in Warsaw destroyed by the Nazi invasion, Britain became Lester’s adopted country. In wartime United Kingdom he served with dedication in the Polish Mercantile Fleet in Exile and with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, simultaneously establishing his artistic career.
Searching for his own haven and fresh inspiration, he set sail to Jamaica in 1952, where he built anew. Influenced by rhythmic, easy-going cadences amidst vibrant Caribbean colors, Lester developed an enduring style known for bold strokes and flowing lines. Honoring a relationship founded in the 1960s, Garlandstone Arts, LLC and Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, are proud to continue what history interrupted, awakening the world to Lester, a master artist.