Support Phase 2 of The Jamaica Center for the Arts

“Support Phase 2 of The Jamaica Center for the Arts (JAart): A Creative Hub for Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the World”

Please take a few moments to visit our new website where you will learn more about JAarts developments and course offerings as developed. Your generous donations allow us to not only build the JAarts teaching facilities but also support the development of the business infrastructure and environmental design of the property.

https://www.jamaicacenterforthearts.com

We are excited to invite you to support the completion of Phase 2 of The Jamaica Center for the Arts (JAart). This phase will bring us closer to establishing Jamaica’s first open-air multipurpose teaching and creative space, located in the vibrant community of Billy’s Bay, Treasure Beach.

We extend heartfelt gratitude to those who supported us during Phase 1, which focused on conceptualizing the center, securing property, and laying the foundation for this transformative project. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve made tremendous progress, and we’re thrilled to share our vision for the next steps.

Our goals for Phase 2 include:

•Completing the first building

•Constructing an open-air teaching space

•Landscaping and fencing the property

•Launching an introductory website

We’re working towards a March 1, 2025 deadline to have these elements in place, with our inaugural classes scheduled to begin as early as March 7, 2025. These first offerings include a Gourd Banjo Making Workshop and a Children’s Visual Art and Music Evening Class. As our Board of Directors finalizes a robust curriculum, we’ll ensure our website is updated with announcements for upcoming classes and events.

At JAart, our mission is to meet the needs of the Treasure Beach and greater Caribbean arts community while welcoming international artists, teachers, and learners. Our center will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary arts education, creative research, and skill-building for people of all ages. We aim to provide a space where Jamaicans and visitors alike can exchange knowledge, collaborate, and create in a setting that celebrates Caribbean cultural heritage and contemporary arts practices.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl, which struck Treasure Beach as a Category 5 storm, has further highlighted the urgent need for skills training and community support in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Our programs are designed to address these needs by fostering resilience through arts education and creative engagement.

Your generous support will help us achieve our vision for a thriving arts center that nurtures creativity, preserves Caribbean culture, and builds lasting connections between local and global communities.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for helping us complete this critical phase of development. Together, we can bring The Jamaica Center for the Arts to life and make a lasting impact in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and beyond.

Morgan Menzies

Assistant Director, Jamaica Center for the Arts

”MerMade in Jamaica”

&

Jeff Menzies

Director, Jamaica Center for the Arts

”Menzies Instruments”