Collective of artists and Art Week
The Artists of St Barth association was created in 2016 to promote local contemporary art to islanders and visitors alike. Since 2019, its president has been the renowned fashion photographer Antoine Verglas, who divides his time between New York and Saint-Barth. The collective brings together fifty painters, sculptors and photographers. Their work can be seen in the association's gallery, Pati's Gallery, as well as on its website www.artistsofstbarth.org. They also exhibit during the Art Parties organized every three months in the island's 5-star hotels in partnership with the CTTSB (tourist office), which presents its action as follows: "One of our objectives is to enable art to play a key role in building loyalty among our upscale clientele, as well as to elevate the island of Saint-Barthélemy to the top of the list of art destinations in the Caribbean"
Every year, the association organizes Art Week in partnership with CTTSB and the Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy. Six individual exhibitions are presented alongside public events: seven evenings, one at the museum and six in Michelin-starred establishments on the island. On the program for the 2020 edition are Paddy Cohn, Luca Bornoffi, Éric Demarchelier, Jason Bereswill, Dominique Le Grand Philouze and Gabriela Berrutti. All inspired by the island, the guest artists use their art to create a bridge to the outside world that appeals to transients and locals alike. To mark the occasion, the Sereno restaurant has created "a painting, a plate" around the paintings of Luca Bornoffi. For the chef, the challenge is to propose a special menu inspired by the works, a retranscription of art on the plate.
The collective aims to reach out to the general public. To this end, it organizes monthly evening Art & Food Markets. It also offers free painting workshops open to children and adults, who can receive advice from a local artist at the territorial museum. To round off Art Week, a competition is held for the amateur artist of the year, who wins painting equipment and sees his or her work exhibited throughout the summer.
Inventive sculptures
Sculpture is rarely seen on Saint-Barth. However, you're bound to pass a sculpture that symbolizes this little island: Savaku, Arawak for "the spirit of the forces of nature". Located on the Tourmente traffic circle (named after the wind that likes to blow through it), this magnificent bronze figure was created by Guillaume Blanchard. This warrior protects the island with his spear and, with the help of the lambi, summons the forces of nature. Standing on a rock, representing the island of Saint-Barthélemy, are an iguana and a pelican, the animal symbols of this little piece of the Caribbean.
Finally, let's mention a few sculptors who illustrate the variety of styles on Saint-Barth. Mickael Doudeu recycles engine parts and combines them with noble materials such as bronze or copper to create graceful works such as a long silver palm tree or a melted guitar in the shape of an island. David Martin's creations combine precious woods of different species. Jimmy Lafaurie, who has been based in Saint-Barth for twenty years, combines stone, wood and metal in his sculptures. Michael Rumiz is a wildlife photographer. On his return from an assignment in Africa, he turned to sculpture to extend his images into three dimensions.
