- Airline’s digital art gallery will feature the work of artists from across the Caribbean, including Antigua, Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia
- Gallery is available exclusively throughout Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabins
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 Bajan 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 St 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.”
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 37 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. In 2021, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the fifth year running in the Official Airline Ratings as well as receiving Diamond status, the highest possible standard by APEX and Simpliflying for delivering the highest standards of cleanliness and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to keeping our customers and teams safe. Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic and its holiday business, Virgin Atlantic Holidays, employs over 5,700 people worldwide, serving 27 destinations across four continents. Sustainability remains central to the airline and in September 2019, Virgin Atlantic took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft - helping to transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky. By 2022, the airline will operate a streamlined fleet of 37 twin engine aircraft following the retirement of its 747s and A332s, and its simplified fleet will be 10% more efficient than before the Covid-19 crisis.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic received approval from the US DOT to launch an expanded trans-Atlantic joint venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or www.virginholidays.co.uk, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic @virginholidays
Full list of artists feature in the Gallery in the Sky
Bernard Hoyes (Jamaica)
- Alison Chapman-Andrew (Barbados)
- Arnold Toulon (St Lucia)
- Chris Thomas (Tobago)
- Princess Bilinda Johnson (Barbados)
- Dana Sikkens (Barbados)
- Donel Pysadee (Grenada)
- Lethe (Tobago)
- Diogenes Ballester (Puerto Rico)
- Earl Darius Etienne (Dominica)
- Andrea McLeod (Grenada)
- Doliver Morain (Grenada)
- Heidi Berger (Barbados)
- Suelin (Grenada)
- Sallie Harker (Antigua)
- Roxanne Marquez-Augustine (Grenada)
- Reggie Medford (Barbados)
- Prensnelo (Grenada)
- Nicholas Hadeed (Antigua)
- Hulda Guzmán (Dominican Republic)
- Julianne Gill (Barbados)
- Kirsten Dear (Barbados)
- Kraig Yearwood (Barbados)
- Laura Ward (Barbados)
- Marilda Weatherhead (Barbados)
- Michelle Bowe (Barbados)
