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Artistic Expressions

St. Thomas has long been on the map for its arts scene. Camille Pissarro, the famous Impressionist, was born on St. Thomas in 1830, and a gallery that bears his name is located in his family's former residence on Main Street. Today, the art scene on the island boasts works by several local artists, and these works are available at numerous galleries throughout the island. Paintings in oil, fabric, watercolor, monotype, acrylic, pastel, encaustic and multimedia are for sale, as are art pieces such as collages, prints, photographs, ceramics, woodcraft, sculpture and metal works. Most local art has a tropical feel, but occasionally artists depart from the norm and tie in a more international theme. Galleries such as Gallery St. Thomas, located on Main Street in Charlotte Amalie, and Mango Tango, on Raphune Hill at Al Cohen's Mall and at Yacht Haven Grande, stage monthly showings that place many artists center stage for the public to view.

Tillett Gardens is an artists' oasis on St. Thomas. You can watch artists create raku pottery, candles, silkscreen prints and other native handicrafts. Arts Alive Arts, Crafts & Music Festivals take place in May and November each year, drawing over 30 local artists for these two-day sale extravaganzas. The performing arts are alive in the Gardens, too. The Pistarckle Theater is based here, with productions staged year-round. The Arts Alive Concert Series features classical and contemporary musicians and runs annually from October through April. On the University of the Virgin Islands' campus, the Reichhold Center for the Arts hosts a wide variety of artists throughout the year, ranging from famous vocalists and symphonies, to circus performers, dance groups and Caribbean-themed plays. For information about upcoming performances, call 340-693-1559.

JONNA WHITE GALLERY
30 Main Street, Charlotte Amalie
877-860-3600, 340-774-1201 / www.jonnawhite.com / jonnawhite@earthlink.net
Jonna White Gallery is located on historic Main Street in the heart of St. Thomas' shopping district. Jonna's intaglio etchings include tropical landscapes, images of ancient and mythical cultures, exotic animals, interiors with views of turquoise water and luminous undersea fantasies. She creates large color etchings on her own beautiful hand-made paper, as well as extraordinary cast paper sculptures, watercolors and oil paintings. Jonna is often in the gallery, and visitors can meet the artist. Shipping is free to the United States and Canada.

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