I saw the great Nina Simone perform at Carnegie Hall in New York. It was a concert that transcended every expectation I had by soaring into a realm of artistry that was sublime. It was unforgettable.

The new exhibitions at the Bermuda Society of Arts walked through the same door with a transcendent excitement that was charged with an eclecticism of poetic themes: cedar boat sculptures, oil paintings, bonsai trees, and photography.

“I saw ships with three cornered sails with none in the world to compare.” This quote has been attributed to a British Admiral who supposedly uttered these words upon seeing the famed Bermuda Gig.

More than 100 of these boats were built between 1795 and 1902 and arguably transformed the course of sailing.

The collection of cedar sculptures by national treasure Milton Hill is incredible to behold. Mr Hill himself is a mesmerising nonpareil, an exquisite craftsman who has truly lived an extraordinary life. A shipwright at age 14, Mr Hill turned to building models with his replica of the renowned boat Teaszer in 1988. His sculptures accurately reflect our maritime heritage in the most modest of fashions — an understated elegance.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Hill in the Edinburgh gallery. He captivated me like a glass of fine single malt whisky. It was beyond a privilege to have him describe the boats, their features and then place it all in historical context. The story behind Winston Curtis’ model The Queen of Bermuda and its restoration is one for Bermuda’s archives. The Deliverance is a replica of the commissioned gift to the Bishop of London. On it goes: simply amazing.

Ami Zanders’ screen prints on paper juxtapositions with a serene nautical contrast of bare essence.

They are illusorily minimalist statements that miss nothing in what they evoke and are full with what is communicated.

She has succeeded in rendering images that are a delicate balance of the deliberately irrational and logically representational.

Paradise Dreams by Samantha Gosling is truly a wonderful voicing of Bermudian iconography. It is refreshing to see a bold approach to the traditional and conventional that rises beyond liturgy. So often the indigenous artistic expression never evolves beyond a collection of staid Bermudiana idiomatic styling.

There is a capricious energy that underpins Gosling’s work, as seen in the oil on wood tiles and the wood and cement Roof 1,2, and 3.

There is an undeniable nod to forthcoming potential and excitement as an artist for Gosling. The portrait Haile Maryham @ Scratchies Barber Shop rung a bell of nostalgia for me in an arresting manner.

As a boy from Middletown, I spent many a Saturday morning at Scratchies waiting for my turn in the chair; pinning all my mischievous affections on being clipped by Theodosia. But I digress.

At the end of a one-night course, Axel Bubenzer began his journey of more than two decades in the cultivation and growing of Bonsai trees.

The word “bonsai” is Japanese and translates as “tray gardening”, but the art of bonsai dates back to early 14th century China and is known as Penjing.

While the cultivation of the tree is simple: restrict the growth of its roots in a container, while occasional pruning and shaping maintain its size. After a period of time you have a dwarfed tree.

What is not so simple is this effort requires years of constant attention. On display is a deciduous vine that has been groomed for 16 years. The average age of each tree is more than ten years.

The quiet drama in this beautiful display of Bonsai has a silent complexity that is soothing with Zen-like overtures.

Amazingly, if a bonsai tree is removed from its pot and replanted, it will return to its original growing state.

Nhuri Bashir hits all the right notes in the Onions Gallery with his photographic statement, All Squared — a sweep of buoyant joie de vivre.

This is realised with composition and processing technique, dropping colour and an emphasis on contrast to state only a few elements.

There is deftness in Bashir’s ability to convey aspirations and character in portraits that capture complex ethos with enormously rich humanism.

The parallel videos All Squared and All Squared: Behind the Scenes were a wonderful insight into the creative process without the strident pretence and baffling convolutedness.

With this opening, the Bermuda art ecosystem pulses with a vibrant energy to echoed genuine community.

Some would argue that social media has caused a huge swing towards the superficial, but on this opening night the art was supreme and its appreciation sublime; a real artistic experience.

• The exhibitions run until February 18, 2015