A successful 2025 edition hosted at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve
Gorgeous, as a description of the weather, the ambience and lush natural surroundings at The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve (LLNPP) on Saturday afternoon, March 22nd, 2025, would be an understatement of the beautiful back drop for this year’s ‘Art In Bloom’. The event, hosted by The Preserve, began at midday, and was open to a consistent stream of residents and visitors, until 8 p.m. that evening.
A variety of talented artists and artisans from throughout The Eleutheras, as well as some based in New Providence, came together to display and sell their creations in a plethora of different mediums. The types of art on display were of every kind, making for a very enjoyable experience, with vivid paintings, designer straw craft and one-of-a-kind handbags, handmade jewelry, unique crocheted collectibles, driftwood creations, luxurious soaps, candles and skincare, locally made herbal teas, spices and sauces, bedazzled drinkware as well as artfully done drinks. Patrons filtered through the colourful displays, along the tabled gardens, leading into the open pavilion, enjoying music, good food, and the array of talent on show.
“Art and Bloom is a cultural event that we have with the community. We want artists and vendors to engage with The Preserve. This event is our annual fundraiser, and we want visitors and guests to know that they are contributing to conservation. They are helping us to create educational programs as well as other activities for the community to engage with us in. This is our second year [hosting Art and Bloom] since Covid and I must say it has been an extremely good turnout. We have at least 30 vendors this year, and we have them from all over the island, as well as some from Nassau,” said Levy Preserve Manager, Lakeisha Wallace-Campbell.
The focus this year, she added, was to get closer to nature, “We wanted everyone to be immersed in the natural environment here, so we had vendors physically out in the elements. We didn’t do any tents, as we wanted them to actually experience The Preserve. And, we had such beautiful weather.”
Looking ahead, The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve is developing a 10-year vision plan, aiming to further increase community involvement, said Lakeisha, with signature events, “We want to get a lot more of our community involved, with signature events such as bush tea tours, and even camping in the near future.” The Preserve’s next event, scheduled for April 26th, is National Parks Day – with free entry to all, she noted. In addition to Eleuthera’s first national park, being fully open to the public, and free of charge on that day, she said, other attractions being planned, included a kid’s corner, yoga in the morning, free popcorn, cotton candy and snow cones for children, as well as karaoke and a lot more.”
Strolling through the vendor-lined coppice paths, and stopping at various displays to chat with different artists and artisans – the stories, backgrounds, personalities and product lines were a fascinating mix.
Designer handbag, candles, soaps and scents artisan, Patricia Chatti, who had come in from New Providence, talking about her one of a kind creations on display at Art In Bloom, with branding “Cia Monet”, said her products were crafted to be environmentally friendly. “All of my candles and soaps are 100% vegan. They’re all soy based. And even my straw works are sustainable because of the straw. So, I try to stick with environmentally friendly products, and products that lend to the environment in terms of recycling. All of my candles also double as massage oils.” Patricia also highlighted the self-care aspect of her line, with shower steamers, bath bombs, loofah with foot scrub, candles, and soaps. “Self care is the order of the day for my products. Be it the shower steamers, the bath bombs, the loofah with the foot scrub, the candles, the soaps. Everything is about spa self care, taking care of yourself in the privacy of your home.”
Jerreth Albury, of North Eleuthera, showcased his vibrant paintings of Eleuthera’s landscapes and seascapes, featuring the colourful flora and fauna of the island. He described his work, saying, “All of my paintings are acrylic paintings. And I have prints for the first time. I have various themes, mostly landscapes and seascapes. I like a lot of color. I like flora and fauna. So anything with a lot of coconut palms, bougainvillea, ponciana – they’re my favorite. So once I see those, that’s my inspiration. I like the contrast of the ponciana with the blues in the sky and the coconut trees and bougainvillea. I like how they’re smashed together. It pops.” Throughout the year, Jerreth also offers an on-demand mobile ‘sip and paint’ event service, requiring a minimum of six participants. Bookings can be made through his social media accounts, under the name Jejual’s Art.
A former guidance counselor at several schools in Eleuthera, Tamara Hannah of New Providence, who retired in 2021, while she was at the Harbour Island All Age School, now runs Island Living Education Farm. Her mission, she said, is to educate and to train – to share the knowledge of her craft, which include plant and agriculture based jewelry, soaps, as well as pink sand craft. On display she had coconut shell jewelry, coconut, aloe and pineapple soaps, along with delicate pink sand jewelry.
Hailing from Tarpum Bay and Gregory Town, Sheila La Quinta Moss-Thompson, had on display a kaleidescope of handmade crochet plushie creations – including frogs, dolphins, turtles, jellyfish, dolls, flowers, elephants, ducks, penguins, mushrooms, and many others of all sizes. Describing her current product line, she shared, “The core would be kids, right now. I have something authentic that could serve anybody, be it tourists or locals. That’s what I focus on.” With some crochet plushies starting at $8, Sheila emphasized both the affordability of her creations and variety, with the extravagant also available.
Artist, Erica Allen, of Tarpum Bay, talking about the creative acrylic on canvas paintings she had on display at her table, shared, “It’s all about cultural expression of Bahamian culture, you know, with colours and storytelling and just the vibrant, bold colour usage, to give off a little life, and visual attraction. And, of course, to give a little history… I think for me, most of my inspiration comes from when I was growing up on Cat Island… As I got older, I usually don’t see too much of our culture being represented or being displayed through the kids nowadays. So I’m hoping by incorporating how I grew up into my artwork, you know, it doesn’t get, let’s say, forgotten or pushed to the side.”
‘Always by Allia’, a jewelry line by New Providence based artisan, Allia Dean, was on full display at Art and Bloom. “The jewelry is all sustainable, all waste management focused,” she shared. “We have pink sand bracelets, also shredded Bahamian money, all recycle and repurposed. We also use stuff like the poinciana flower and yellow elder flowers. Shell, different carvings of the shell. We have jewelry that’s fashioned after junkanoo, with the ‘Junkanoo’ bracelet. Also the conch shell fragments, smaller pieces, which we use after we do the bigger pieces of the conch shell, whatever’s left over, we make these bracelets. So nothing goes to waste.”
Esconced amongst the coconut palms in the grove beyond The Preserve’s entrance, Kermit Mackey, better known as Chef Ray was busy whipping up sushi creations. As he worked, with a smile, he described, “So this is not really a new business, but it’s a transfer business. We were in the US for 15 years and we recently relocated back home to Eleuthera. So, we brought our business back home and sushi is just the beginning of it, actually. You see, the name ‘The Bun Hut’ was inspired by a trip to China. So mixing bao buns with Caribbean flavors and we’re trying to bring it back home.” Chef Ray, along with his wife, Latoya Rankine, he said, currently offer mobile sushi services, and could be found through the week at well-known restaurant locations on the island – like sushi night at Bacchus Fine Foods every Thursday.
Kim Devine, an artist from Lower Bogue, North Eleuthera, said her artistic journey began with original paintings on driftwood. “I started out with paintings, and I still do them – original paintings on driftwood canvases. I went on to sand dollars, a little bit of everything. I make table decor from the pink sand. I also do ornaments, and other wood shapes, starfish, and dolphins.” Recently, she said she has incorporated local straw work into her pieces, such as hats, bags, and jeans with straw embellishments. Kim’s studio and storefront, can be found in Lower Bogue.
To reach out to any of the artists and vendors from Art In Bloom, contact Preserve Manager, Lakeisha Wallace-Campbell at 332-3831 or email – [email protected].
