Art Thursday: Spring Brings New Art & Jewelry to Barbara Art Gallery & FantaSea Jewelry

M.A. Dworkin

St. Croix - Springtime is almost here and Art Thursday in Christiansted on March 19th, is welcoming in the season with an array of exciting new works of art, beautiful jewelry designs, and lovely glass and Chaney shapes and styles. 

There is something about Spring that not only fills the air with the sweetest of smells, but also fills the mind with thoughts of hope, new beginnings, and a renewed outlook on life. Spring points us towards the future like no other season of the year. It is with this theme of positivity that Art Thursday takes the stage for its monthly seasonal gathering of the best in what the Big Island has to offer in the way of creativity.

Christiansted Town is a rare mix of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and artistic brilliance. Take a tour along the old Danish walkways, past the shops, down Gallery Row, and realize the power of artistic enlightenment that stares out at you from every storefront window display, from every unique little sign, from every individualistic interior design. 

There is an enormous burst of creative talent in the old town that emanates out the doors of every gallery and sweeps down the old historic streets like a contagion of creative fire. It seeps through the minds of every business owner, beckoning them all to put on their best face, make sure their stores are at their peak, and play at the highest level of their commercial game. And Spring, Spring shouts to them all, telling them to throw out the old and ring in the new!

This is the footprint of Art Thursday this year. As the town shakes off a slow off-season, it faces a new day, a new beginning, clearing the decks for the fortunes of the future, as artists of every ilk shake off their winter slumber, kick off their old designs, and produce new works that excite the senses and lead us into a new tomorrow. 

Nicole Gariepy, owner of FantaSea Jewelry, upstairs on Company Street, has been in the jewelry business since 1997, with a specialty in gemology and custom jewelry design. She holds several diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America. She has been selling and creating jewelry on St. Croix for over 20 years. She creates small batches of designer jewelry with genuine gemstones, precious metals and a good bit of love that are inspired by the ocean, by island life, and the beauty of the Caribbean. The FantaSea Jewelry Collections continue to grow and evolve with Nicole’s new inspirations as she celebrates the beauty and energy of island life through jewelry and art.

Barbara Gelardi of Barbara Art Studio & Gallery has had a love affair with St. Croix since her feet first hit the sand back in 1997. She lives on the beautiful North Shore where she is raising two fine Crucian young men with her husband, Boat Captain and Videographer, Michael. She often hosts art classes and exhibitions from her space on Company Street. She has created hundreds of fabulous murals on St. Croix for businesses and homes. Her paintings are filled with amazingly vibrant colors that depict sea life, indigenous flowers, Mocko Jumbies, and eloquently colorful scenes of people and places that she has encountered on the Big Island over the years. She is one of the most well-known and well-respected artists in the USVI. Her love for the life she has created here seems to be as boundless as the view across the North Shore out over the Caribbean Sea. 

So start Spring with a new step, wander about the streets on Art Thursday, soak up the creative atmosphere, enjoy the great vibes, the wine, the cheese, the groovy people you encounter. Take a peek inside the mind of an artist, dream their dreams, try to experience what they were thinking when they created their work of art, their beautiful  piece of jewelry. Touch gold and silver in a way the creator of the jewelry desired to make you feel. For just one night, wrap yourself in the beauty of art. Fall in love with a night of creativity. Welcome the new visions that only Spring can bring. You might just be surprised at the wonders it can do for your body, your mind, your soul!