Aquinas College senior Jaá Rolle was awarded the Summer Arts Immersion (SAi) 2023 Conceptual Composition Prize for her piece "Unceasing Admiration", an abstract portrait that pays homage to Bahamian Master Artist Stanley Burnside.

Rolle's painting is a testament to how the bridging of generational gaps through the teaching of Bahamian history, heritage, and culture is critical to preserving national identity.

"I created this painting to immortalize Burnside's contributions to Bahamian culture, I loved how he incorporates our country's history into his artwork," said Rolle.

SAi has hosted an intensive arts program for high school seniors and graduates as a preparatory experience for university studies or a career in the arts.

This year's camp was inspired by the country's independence theme, "The Bahamas 50: One Nation. Our Legacy. Our Future".

An integral part of SAi's 2023 program was the launch of its mentorship initiative.

Hosted at The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI), this year's program was led by artist and designer Philece Roberts who worked alongside animator and art educator Jason Evans to co-facilitate drawing and painting classes.

Students were paired with a Bahamian artist whose work, artistic style, or use of materials bore similarity.

"The combination of exceptional talent, vulnerability, and willingness to learn from their teachers and classmates made them an extremely special group," said Roberts.

"Co-teaching this year allowed us to support and challenge the students in a unique way that offered a blended classroom experience which is very different from how art is taught in schools."

Joining her as mentors were June Collie, Jason Evans, Steffon Grant, Dyah Neilson, Jordon Ritchie, Allan P. Wallace, and Durelle Williams who reviewed the students' work, advised on future career and college options while sharing their creative professional journey.

SAi hosted its annual showcase and awards ceremony to recognize the participation of new students Shaiel Curry, Madison Cartwright, Logan Forbes, Judah Knowles, Nariah Pride, and Rolle and returning students Reory Fox and Annalise Smith on Saturday, July 22.

Entitled "Imprint" the art exhibition included foundation compositions produced under the direction of instructors and conceptual paintings that students developed independently with instructor and mentor supervision.

Forbes won the Foundation Composition Award.

Fox, Rolle, and Smith received awards for their performance and final pieces.

Charisma Perigord, former SAi student, who is currently a sophomore at the University of The Bahamas (UB), worked alongside instructors as a teaching assistant.

"After being a SAi student for five years I found it enlightening to experience artmaking through the lens of a teacher. I gained a lot of knowledge from the instructors who were very perceptive to the students' needs and incredibly resourceful. I learned how to explain new art techniques and how to draw creativity out of the students."

Over the past three years SAi has explored themes that have been tied explicitly to the student artwork.

Roberts said the focus of this year's camp, "Bridging The Future" was conceived as a conceptual undertone that has been key to the projects and activities that highlight identity, personal style, and mentorship as tenets of SAi's overall mission

For the past six years, SAi has hosted the intensive arts program for high school seniors and graduates as a preparatory experience for university studies or a career in the arts. The scholarship-based opportunity has engaged over 100 students from New Providence, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Andros, Long Island, and Abaco who have worked under the tutelage of more than 27 Caribbean creative professionals as instructors, teaching assistants, guest artists, and scholars.

Keisha Oliver, SAi founder said intergenerational bridging was the impetus for the camp.

"It is rooted in our organizational, curricula, and conceptual frameworks. Our vision for blending artmaking and community building has always asked the questions: How and what can be realized when experience and innovation across different generations come together? And what Bahamian cultural traditions can be preserved through arts education?"

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