LONDON, England – Virgin Atlantic is putting local artists from the Caribbean at the forefront of its Upper-Class experience thanks to its art gallery in the sky. Available throughout Virgin Atlantic’s fleet, the gallery will showcase some of the many incredible artists who hail from the Caribbean. The art will take centre stage in Virgin Atlantic’s industry-leading social spaces, including its onboard bar and loft concepts. The art is available across Virgin Atlantic’s global route network, which spans the US, Caribbean, China, India and South Africa.
Michelle Bowe is a self-taught Barbadian artist who is inspired by the beauty of the island she lives on. The self-taught artist uses famous Barbados scenes as inspiration, particularly marine life, flora and fauna.
Heidi Berger, takes inspiration from the beauty and dignity of the people of Barbados, particular the island’s women. She loves the tactile and weathered surfaces of mixed media – especially those involving wax.
Grenadian-born portrait artist, Roxanne Marquez-Augustine love for people and animals is reflected in her paintings. She works with acrylics on canvas, using bold colours and capturing the personalities of her subjects to the best of her abilities.
Pelicans and flamingos are popular in Sally Harker’s work in which she’s developed a unique technique of painting on wooden shingles using oil paint and gold leaf. The resulting pieces have a textured, almost sculptural quality. She’s the owner of Fig Tree Studio Art Gallergy in Antigua, where she sells her own paintings and the work of other established artists.
The portfolio also features the work from artists including Arnold Toulon from Saint Lucia, Chris Thomas from Tobago and Suelin Low Chew Tung from Grenada.
Hannah Swift, country manager, Caribbean, commented: “The Caribbean is at the heart of Virgin Atlantic’s leisure programme and we love to celebrate our destinations whenever we can. Living in the Caribbean myself, I know the art scene across the islands is absolutely incredible and I’m so proud we can share it on the world stage where it belongs. I’m thrilled we can reaffirm our commitment to the entire region by showcasing each of these unique, brilliant artists.”
Senator Lisa Cummins, minister of tourism and international transport, commented: “We are so pleased by Virgin’s decision to highlight the creativity of our Caribbean artists. To be able to showcase their talent in such a global way is an incredible opportunity and I would like to formally thank Hannah and her team at Virgin Atlantic for their commitment to the Caribbean and for choosing to showcase the artwork in such a fun and interactive way.
This initiative is especially special to us in Barbados as 11 of the 26 artists chosen are Barbadian.
The art scene in Barbados is one of Barbados’ best-kept secrets and so I am grateful to Virgin for giving our very talented artists the platform to showcase their artwork.”