The Artists Guild of St. Croix is a project of the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development and is a welcoming membership for all artists on the big island. As a beacon of fellowship among artists since 2013, the Mission of the Artists Guild of St. Croix is to support and connect the island’s diverse community of visual artists.
The group boasts new energy on St. Croix after its recent hiatus.
The Vision of the Artists Guild of St. Croix seeks to grow appreciation of the visual arts on the island and to encourage the visual artists, including budding and student artists, to explore and grow their creativity through instructional workshops, pop-up art markets, charitable events, and the Annual Artists Guild Art Show.
Mosaic tile/mixed media artist Cathy Booth is a longtime member of the Artists Guild. “I remember the fun I had with other Guild artists sharing our craft with the residents at the Flambouyant Gardens Senior Housing in Barron Spot and the fun they had learning. Unfortunately, Hurricane Maria created so much destruction at their apartments, renovations were necessary before the seniors could move back. The hurricane led to a hiatus in that program and also to the Guild’s regular meetings.”
Booth recalled other Guild outreach projects. There were some that benefited the youth on the island. “We had several mask-making workshops for children and a moko jumbie-making workshop for the youth.”
Despite the setbacks with the hurricane and then the pandemic, the Guild always kept up with their Annual Art Show at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in downtown Frederiksted, Booth said. “We’re back and more vibrant than ever with new offerings.”
A recent meeting of the Guild on Sept. 21 was a hands-on workshop in the courtyard at CMCARTS. The project was to paint the map of St. Croix and the surrounding waters without using a brush. The goal was to paint with found objects and to use the USVI official madras colors of turquoise, royal blue, pink, white, yellow, green, and red. The completed artwork will be a donation for the “Art of Healing for Cancer Survivors Exhibit and Silent Auction.”
A trip down memory lane inspired the Guild artists to reminisce about painters like Jackson Pollock, who laid his canvas on the floor or on the wall and flung and poured ropes of paint across the surface in his “drip” technique that defined his Abstract Expressionist Style. Or, the famous Vincent Van Gogh, who often used a palette knife to replace a brush. Another “brushless” painter was Yves Klein, who would cover female models in his paint and then have his “living brushes” lie or drag themselves across the canvas to create images.
Artists Guild members were very innovative in their approach to brushless painting with a variety of found items: spools of thread, bubble wrap, straws, the tread from the sole of a discarded shoe, a mesh bag from fresh fruit, bottle lids, a piece of a sea fan, a comb, and many more inconceivable “brushes,” gave texture and pattern to their finished project.
They did it! Their combined efforts, artful expressions, and versatility resulted in a project that will surely bring in a handsome donation for the upcoming art auction.
Debra “DJ” Kissinger shared her Guild experiences with the Source. “When I arrived on the island, the Artists Guild was dormant due to COVID, except for the Annual Art Show. Now, the Guild is up and running again,” she said.
“Each time we meet, we work on a project to benefit our community or dabble in a new art form or share a new technique. It’s fun!” she added.
Kissinger said she came seeking to learn from a community of established artists and found herself welcomed as an equal.
“Now, I’m on the board and we are looking forward to creating new opportunities for both old and new members. In 2025, we will be hosting several en plein-air – outdoor painting events at local venues. We will also have a mosaic workshop and another mask-making workshop,” she added.
There’s a new spirit about the group, Kissinger said. During COVID, she saw budding artists who were born by watching YouTube videos. New artists moved to St. Croix. According to Kissinger, some artists who have been here have faded into the background. She wants to encourage these groups to join the Artists Guild so that “we can all learn from each other.”
The 2024 Annual Art Show was one of the largest Artists Guild shows yet. It was a smashing success, Kissinger said, in terms of the variety of media presented and sales! “There is a lot of talent in the Artists Guild of St. Croix.”
Kissinger is most known for her underwater photography. She also considers herself a budding mixed media upcycle artist. She creates art out of things that others discard. “My favorite question from those who view my art is, ‘What is that made out of?’ or ‘How did you make that?’”
The next meeting of the Artists Guild will convene on Saturday, Nov. 2, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm in the courtyard at CMCARTS. The workshop, “Under the Sea” Artistree, will be led by local artist Isabelle Picard. All supplies will be provided by the Guild. Participants will paint 4” x 4” canvases with a focus on background and detail. The tiny works of art will decorate a Christmas tree that will benefit the St. George’s Village Botanical Garden when auctioned at their annual gala in December. This workshop will be an opportunity for folks to learn from a local artist, improve their skills, and give back to the community.
Guidelines will be given for the Annual Art Show opening Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, and running through Feb. 1, 2025, at CMCARTS.
The Annual Art Show is open to all 2025 Artists Guild members and all 2025 CMCARTS members. Original work in 2D and 3D created within the last year and not previously shown on St. Croix will be accepted.
The entry deadline is Dec. 10, 2024, and work must be dropped off by Jan. 7, 2025, at CMCARTS.
Artists Guild Events and Workshops:
Collage, Mosaics, Masks and more…in March, April, & October 2025.
Artists Guild of St.Croix Board of Directors:
Matt Jarvis, president; DJ Kissinger, vice-president; Lyn Voytershark, secretary; Kathleen Newman, treasurer.
Members-at-Large:
Jean Bishop, Cathy Booth, Joyce Hickok, Tamara Michael, Riya Stratton,
For more information or to become a member:
artistsguildofstcroix.wordpress.com
cmcarts.org
Call CMCARTS: 340-772-2622
