Tag: murals

Royal Caribbean’s “Artist Discovery Program” is returning to the Caribbean, the company announced in a press release.

The initiative is calling artists across the region to showcase their work on the brand’s next ship, the Star of the Seas.

According to Royal Caribbean, the vessel, which is scheduled to enter service in August 2025, will provide a canvas for artists to capture and share the Caribbean spirit onboard.

Local artists across the Caribbean can send their submissions through February 15, 2025, via a dedicated webpage.

“We are excited for this next edition of The Artist Discovery Program and can’t wait to be awestruck by visionary artists across the Caribbean. Last year, our first-ever call to artists received an overwhelming response with more than 140 artists across 25 Caribbean countries submitting pieces that told a unique story and captured the allure of the region,” said Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer, Royal Caribbean International.

“Our goal is to connect our guests to the enduring beauty and creativity of the Caribbean, and this immersive program is a pathway to celebrating and exploring local culture while onboard the next Icon of vacations – the Star of the Seas.”

Introduced onboard the Icon of the Seas, the program is said to highlight rising stars among local Caribbean artists, who will now be featured in Star’s curated art collection.

The program aims to celebrate the destinations and people that make “vacations with Royal Caribbean the vacation of a lifetime,” the company said.

The next group of budding artists of the “Artist Discovery Program” will be commissioned to paint large-scale murals in four highly visible locations including the Royal Promenade, the embarkation area, the Suite Sundeck Lobby and the Suite Sundeck.

Joining a collection onboard that includes an array of pieces created by local artists and inspired by the region, each creation will invoke the vibrancy of the Caribbean.

Every artist will receive a grant from Royal Caribbean, ranging from $20,000 to more than $100,000. As artists in residence, the winners will work closely with the Royal Caribbean’s team later this year to bring their concepts to life in Turku, Finland, where the Star of the Seas is currently under construction.

Artists interested in joining the Artist Discovery Program must submit five samples of previous works, which must be original.

Candidates also need to share a brief artist statement that helps explain their work, inspiration and other details regarding the pieces submitted, in addition to a copy of their CV/resume.

This year’s selected artists will join the 2023 inaugural cohort that created iconic murals that are featured throughout the Icon of the Seas.

The artists in-residence include Angelika Wallace-Whitfield from the Bahamas; Phillipe Dodard from Haiti, and Jason Hospedales from Trinidad & Tobago.