As we ring in the new year, cancer survivors on the island of St. Croix can continue to look forward to art classes and other activities hosted by the Virgin Islands Breast Cancer Project. The next class in their Art of Healing, Threads of Resilience, Healing Arts, Heritage and Culture Series will be a Wire Sculpture class, on Monday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m., at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts on Strand Street in Frederiksted.
The class will be led by none other than St. Croix’s artist extraordinaire, Waldemar Brodhurst. A self-taught sculptor, Brodhurst has elevated the technique of recycling discarded materials, including wire, rope, and sea glass, into works of art that speak to the history and soul of the Virgin Islands. This workshop promises to be a great opportunity for the novice to connect with their inner artist.
Dubbed “art therapy” by project founder Diane J. Hampton, the VI Breast Cancer Project invites cancer patients of all types of cancer to attend sessions, which provide, as one survivor put it, respite for the soul. The program continues to be a successful and rewarding experience for cancer patients and survivors seeking relief from the toll that battling cancer causes.
Since the inception of the art series, the range of art classes has run the gamut, from mixed media, watercolor painting, to the most recent silk-dye class held this past December, taught by textile and fiber artist, Yemaya Jones, at her studio in Frederiksted. Known locally and throughout mainland U.S. for her unique wearable art, Jones’ retrospective exhibit was the highlight of the 2025 fall season at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts.
Fifteen-year cancer survivor, Terry Vanterpool, eagerly shared her experiences having attended three classes hosted by VIBCP. “The mixed media class, as the name suggested, was taught by Theda Sandiford, an interdisciplinary artist. The use of different mediums was combined into a beautiful piece of art. This process allowed my creative juices to flow. I would take this class again. As for the silk-dye class, I was delighted to learn a skill that allowed me to create something so beautiful. Yemaya did a great job teaching us the dye techniques and the use of Adinkra icons, carved symbols, and other blocks to enhance our designs. The watercolor painting class taught by local artist Josie Kozloff was a bit more challenging but equally satisfying. Most of all, I enjoyed interacting with my fellow cancer survivors.”
Debra Kissinger also attended the watercolor painting class, which she said was a lot of fun. She had this to say about the silk-dye class: “Each scarf turned out so beautiful and colorful. As I got to know the other participants, I was struck that our cancer journeys were as unique as the patterns on our scarves, and couldn’t help but wonder if the colors we chose reflected where we were on our cancer journeys – treatment, remission, survival. I loved it!”
The Virgin Islands Breast Cancer Project is one of 13 organizations awarded grants by the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development, through its 2025 Healing Humanities Cultural Place-Keeping Grant Program. The Art of Healing: Threads of Resilience, Healing Arts, Heritage and Culture Series will continue throughout 2026 and is free to individuals who are currently in cancer treatment and cancer survivors. For registration, click here.
