Arts & Literature

A vision years in the making took shape on St. Croix over the Independence Day weekend as the inaugural Deep End Music Festival brought together nationally recognized musicians and local performers for three days of live music.

Chosen authors will represent the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Inspired by her grandmother's collection of Virgin Islands cookbooks and history, Ashley-Ruth Moolenaar Bernier's new novel, The Bush Tea Murder, blends food, culture and community into a cozy mystery that feels unmistakably Caribbean.

Celebrate Emancipation Day with a special cultural event at Bajo el Sol Gallery on Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. The gallery will host a book signing with Dr. Letitia Henry, author of Unda de Baobab Tree: USVI History, Culture & Nature Activity Book, along with a Crucian Bayside Creations Pop-Up featuring traditional market baskets and local artistry by the Henry siblings.

81C is pleased to announce the St. Thomas presentation of LEHWE’s BIRTH PAPERS: A Caribbean Design Show, its inaugural traveling exhibition dedicated to Caribbean design. Developed and curated by LEHWE Founder Azi Jones, the exhibition opens in Charlotte Amalie on July 11, following its debut at El Kilómetro in Santurce, Puerto Rico.

The gallery will host a book signing with Dr. Letitia Henry, author of Unda de Baobab Tree: USVI History, Culture and Nature Activity Book, along with a Crucian Bayside Creations PoP-Up featuring traditional market baskets and local artistry by the Henry Siblings. 

In an email to the Source, Corinne Van Rensselaer noted that she wrote this poem 10 years ago, on June 12, 2016. "And yet, in our community and in our world today, it is ever more relevant today, June 18, 2026," she said.

"The sounds of gunshots often wake me at night while asleep in my Solberg home overlooking town and on the other side of the hill from the West, but hearing those from Savan Friday in broad daylight while I was already awake immediately reignited concerns, feelings, thoughts, and hopes that I know are much bigger than my immediate ability to help the way I’d like," said DaraMonifah Cooper. In response, she offers these two poems.

At the recent launch of Artefacts of Jamaica, facilitated by the Caribbean Culture Fund, cultural practitioners from Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands, Saba, and Dominica reflected on a challenge facing communities across the Caribbean.

The Art of Healing, Threads of Resilience, Healing Arts, Heritage and Culture Series hosted by the VI Breast Cancer Project continues on Monday from 3 to 6 p.m. with a Self-Portrait Sketching Class, at Fort Frederik on King Street in downtown Frederiksted on St. Croix. Curator and artist Monica Marin is the featured instructor. Enrollment is open to all cancer survivors, and seating is limited. A few seats remain.

81C presents Art with Voice, a student-led pop-up exhibition curated by emerging artist and student curator Gyselle Ready, currently on view at 81C in historic Charlotte Amalie through June 10. 

Virgin Islands artist La Vaughn Belle has been selected as a finalist to design a new public monument honoring Billie Holiday in Queens, New York.

Mango Tango opens the Fresh Paint and Seasoned Strokes Show on Saturday, May 30 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring work from three compelling voices in art: newcomer to the local scene Vickie Lawrence, regional icon Eric Winter — builder, educator, and painter — and master teacher David Millard, whose influence extended from St. Thomas to galleries and museums across the mainland.

On Saturday, May 30, Rhyme and Lime STJ and the Gri Gri Project will host the next Rhyme and Lime at Bajo El Sol Gallery on St. John. Starting at 7 p.m., attendees can share their original works, works by a poet they admire, or they can sit and enjoy the poetry.

This week, Hotel 1829 on St. Thomas will host a curated exhibition that bridges centuries, generations, and artistic traditions. “Resurrection: Old World, New Works”, presented by Aubrey Artworks, runs May 20-22 from 4.p.m. to 9 p.m. and features a cash bar, along with an eclectic mix of local and internationally acclaimed artists.

Once again, Shambles Island Bar and Grill is teaming up with the St. John School of the Arts to bring the arts alive.

Official Launch Scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at UVI’s Great Hall on St. Croix

81C is pleased to introduce THE WORDS, an evolving literary platform anchored by a spoken word and open mic series hosted by UVI’s Safa Monsanto, 81C’s Zack Zook, and featured guests. 

Free admission for military personnel and their families from May 16 until Sept. 7.

THE WORDS is designed as a dynamic and inclusive program that brings together students, educators, and the broader creative community through shared expression.