Aubrey Artworks is once again partnering with Wharfside Village to present their third annual pop-up art show on Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
I’m really excited about this show,” said Aubrey “AC” Burgess, owner of Aubrey Artworks. “I’m showing the work of Shokie Bragg, drawings and paintings from a never-before-seen collection in the islands.”
Bragg creates incredibly detailed drawings, including some using scratchboard art, a technique where an artist applies a layer of dark ink to a surface and then uses sharp tools to scrape off the ink, creating a high contrast image. Bragg had a long career as an illustrator working along the Eastern Seaboard before moving to St. John 10 years ago. He now works as a construction supervisor, and until recently, he maintained a very low profile locally as an artist.
Burgess said he is also thrilled to help the public rediscover the paintings by Ernestine “Ernie” Faucette Bertrand, a longtime art teacher at Charlotte Amalie High School who is now in her 90s. Bertrand, always colorful in her dress and energetic in manner, has created a large body of tropical-toned expressionist paintings that are as vibrant as her presence.
“She’s of real historical significance,” said Burgess. “She was the first in the territory to share her art by teaching on a cruise line in the 1970s. She’s very well known for teaching and bringing her art to market.” Bertrand’s work can be seen on Instagram @ernieartstudio.
Thursday’s show also has an “international element,” featuring artist Katia Moltisanti. originally from Italy but now a resident of St. John, and Doba Afolabi, an award-winning contemporary artist originally from Nigeria, now based in Brooklyn. With a career timeline spanning over 30 years, Afolabi’s paintings have been shown internationally. Most recently, his work has been selected to open the new Museum of Pan African Heritage in Ghana in 2026.
The Wharfside show includes the work of more than 20 other artists “who are either indigenous to St. John, the USVI, or have made this gem their home and raised their families,” Burgess said. They include Tony Romano, Theodora Moorehead and Gail Karlsson.
