Barbudan artists will form an integral part of the inaugural Antigua and Barbuda
Art Week slated for April 16 to 23.
The Tourism Authority, the organisers of the event, has announced that the week’s
activities have been extended to feature the diverse range of arts within Barbuda,
as well as the vibrant art community on the island,
The Barbuda programme offers visitors and residents, the chance to immerse
themselves in rich cultural and artistic experiences ranging from a heritage tour, a
community dance workshop, an art hop to meet the artists in their studios, crafting
and the 1st united exhibition of local professional artists / artisans with a charity
event – celebrity paint and sip with the who’s who of Barbuda as the grand finale.
The coordinators of the Art Week events in Barbuda are Allyson R. Trunzer and
Stacie-Ann Shaw aka Artsy Yaadie.
Allyson R. Trunzer is a dance/ theatre artist of Barbuda and Canada, passionate
about community, collaboration and co-creating artistic experiences and programs
to support development and wellbeing. Much of her work has been as a performer,
instructor, choreographer of Afro-Contemporary dance in the Caribbean, Canada,
and the U.S.
Stacie-Ann is a Jamaican architect and creative who has been residing in Barbuda
for the last 2 years. Her work is heavily inspired by life and culture in the
Caribbean, and contemporary folk art expressed with high colour vibrancy.
These dynamic women have joined forces with the common goal of helping to
develop the creative industry in Barbuda, and have also been engaging the youths
with workshops focused on developing their creative expression, creative
entrepreneurship, and creative career opportunities.
In a statement, the coordinators of the Art Week programme in Barbuda said:
“We are grateful for this platform that the Tourism Authority has afforded all
creatives to shine on a national level and look forward to future events that include
the Creative, Trade and Tourism authorities collectively, to strategically develop
the orange economy.
Barbuda’s community has been demonstrating great skills and talents within the
visual and performing arts, which needs to be further recognized and fostered.
There’s also significant individual and communal value in arts engagement and
practices, which we plan to facilitate during the upcoming Art Week and beyond.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BARBUDA PROGRAMME INCLUDE:
BarbudanGo Heritage Awareness – Run/ Cycle to tour the historically relevant
and heritage sites in Barbuda. Contact (T: 268 780 7773).
Community Dance Workshop – Join in the fun for a free, all ages Afro-fusion
movement/ dance workshop taught by Allyson R. Trunzer at the Fisheries Outdoor
Complex in Codrington. Contact (T: 268 714 2880 ) for more details.
Art Hop – meet 3 artists working in their studios at Barbuda Emblem (T: 268 728
4567), Art Cafe (T: 268 726 9118) and Artsy Yaadie (T: 268 722 2921) all located
on google maps. Call/whatsapp ahead for your best experience.
Sip & Craft – Join Odelia Deazle of Barbuda Emblem for a special Sip & Craft
event hosted at the store location in Codrington. Call (T:268 728-4567) to book
your spot.
Artists Unite – The 1st group exhibition from the best of Barbuda displaying fine
art, photography and jewellery (Artsy Yaadie, Mohammid Walbrook and Barbuda
Emblem’s Odelia Butler). Also listen to the spoken word by Empress Authentic
and get your own art on with eat, sip and paint at Uncle Roddy’s Restaurant.
Celebrity Sip & Paint – The who’s who of Barbuda will top it all off while
producing their own works of art, which will be auctioned to benefit the
development of other art programs in Barbuda at Uncle Roddy’s Restaurant.
