CARIFESTA XV at the Barbados Museum: A Sunday of Art, Dialogue, and Legacy

Sunday, August 24th became a rich moment of reflection during CARIFESTA XV, as two significant events unfolded at the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, each anchoring the region’s creative legacy in the past while casting thoughtful eyes toward the future.

The day began with "The Cultural Landscape 25 Years On: Where to Next?", a timely conversation hosted jointly by the Barbados National Art Gallery (BNAG) and AICA Southern Caribbean, in collaboration with the CARIFESTA XV Secretariat. The discussion brought together a cross-section of curators, art critics, researchers, and arts practitioners from the Caribbean and the wider diaspora to explore the evolving role of national galleries, the interplay between institutional and independent spaces, and the vital place of art writing and public dialogue in shaping regional culture.

Held at a quarter of the way into the 21st century, the event also marked the 25th anniversary of both the BNAG project and AICA Southern Caribbean, underscoring decades of artistic growth, exchange, and resilience. Attendees revisited key collaborations, including the decade-long Black Diaspora Visual Arts project, and engaged in critical dialogue about the future of Caribbean cultural infrastructure.

The conversation was also a space for remembrance, dedicated to the late Alison Chapman-Andrews, a towering figure in Caribbean art whose vision reimagined the region’s landscape with boldness and grace. Her enduring legacy was honoured through the announcement of a bequest of works from her personal collection to the BNAG — a fitting tribute to her role as artist, educator, and collector.

Later that evening, the museum welcomed guests once more, this time for the official launch of “Crystal Lattices: Reflections / Refractions over XV Editions of CARIFESTA” — a compelling exhibition curated by Katherine Kennedy and presented in partnership with the Barbados National Art Gallery. Drawing from the national collection, the exhibition offers a visual dialogue across time and territory, tracing the evolution of Caribbean identity and creativity through select works that speak to the themes, tensions, and triumphs of the region’s largest multidisciplinary festival.

Running from Monday, August 25th to Saturday, October 25th, 2025, the exhibition invites the public to journey through the shifting cultural currents of CARIFESTA’s fifteen editions. “Crystal Lattices” doesn’t merely look back, it refracts the past through the lens of contemporary Caribbean experience, revealing both enduring motifs and new expressions of regional consciousness.

Together, these two events turned the historic halls of the Barbados Museum into a living archive of Caribbean culture, part reflection, part celebration, and wholly rooted in the spirit of collective imagination.

Written by

Annastacia Bernard

Volunteer - CARIFESTA XV