On a quiet Sunday afternoon…in a hidden corner of St. Thomas…
What do you get when you cross art class, with a swanky meet and greet for adult creatives from various walks of life, and socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, blended with an opportunity to practice mindfulness and being present? Well, you get an ElevateWi Sip N’ Paint experience – like the one that occurred on Sunday, February 23, 2025, inside the organization’s headquarters in Lindbergh Bay.
The hostess, Auntie Art was a vibe all by herself, unapologetically Black, proudly Virgin Islander and vocally and demonstratively artistic as she worked the room, skillfully combining maternal patience, with big/lil sister charm alongside witty humor with her adult students. She met each student at their skill level, gracefully advising them on improving their artwork.
The students’ challenge was to replicate the work of Jacob Lawrence, in his ‘Migration Series’ honoring the famed Great Migration in the United States of America, which in itself was instrumental in transforming the demographic and economic landscape of mainland America.
The scents of white and red wine, paint, glue, fabric, and finger foods, complimented the cozy atmosphere of various creatives finding common ground as they escaped from the hustle and bustle of everyday living (island style…) and paused to mindfully connect with their inner child and emerging painter.
Hostess with the Mostest
The star of the evening was a local personality – Janiqua George – better known as ‘Chunky’ and the founder of Auntie Art. She introduced to her students her love of painting from a blank canvas, allowing everyone the opportunity to build their creativity and build their confidence, starting off with simple shapes, allowing for their interpretations of the more complex pieces. The art piece that the students were replicating was based on a painting by Jacob Lawrence called, The Schools in the North were Better than the Ones in the South. This painting in turn is part of a larger collection called The Great Migration. Chunky imagined his art, in the idea of the Virgin Islands’ concept of the Three Queens as a testament to the migration to emancipation of the former Danish West Indians (future U.S. Virgin Islanders).
Chunky or Auntie Art, likes to showcase her students’ artwork depending on their skill levels, to give attention to potential upcoming artists. While other sip n’ paints start students off with pre-drawn canvases, she prefers to stick with blank canvases to really tap into her students’ potential. What she engendered in that small intimate setting that Sunday evening fits in line with the vision and mission of the host organization ElevateWi.
ElevateWi was launched in 2022 under the leadership of its President Lystra O. Ewen, better known to most as Omar. The organization focuses on community development and support, aiming to address various social issues within the Virgin Islands. Their initiatives include programs and services designed to uplift and empower local residents through various forms of artistic expression.
President Omar speaks…
In Omar’s own words,it is, “…a local nonprofit organization in the Virgin Islands that focuses on the Creative and Performing Arts with a health twist to it, because we, of course, cater for the mental health of our artists as well…” I commended him for this vision because the U.S. Virgin Islands needs help on the macro level with mental health programs and initiatives. Because of the various challenges to finding mental health assistance in the Territory, coupled with the shortage in insurance coverage for the limited services available, Omar is glad that a group like ElevateWi can help to fill in the gaps even in minute things. He shared for instance, when they work with young upcoming singers or other performing artists the group helps them with stage confidence and presentation, getting to the root causes of any deeper issues that may have caused the lack of self-confidence from the outset. They achieve this with the assistance of life coaches and a team that works along with their musical or artistic instructors. It also helps that some of the instructors are also life coaches as well.
Omar continued by sharing that one of the primary platforms through which ElevateWi does this is its series of program-event-gatherings called, Grounded, which he describes as a kind of social, spiritual space where those present engage in various expressions or forms of artistry, whether it be singing, dancing, poetry, centered around a main presentation and ensuing discussion. He boasts that the audience at each Grounded session is always participatory, because he finds that they become very open and vulnerable “in the space”. The information and testimonies shared help others in their everyday lives as well.
When asked if he sees a lot of emotional and psychological growth in the young people that attend events such as Grounded and other ElevateWi initiatives, Omar replied in the affirmative that, “…ElevateWi forces you to look in the mirror and not in a judgemental way…” causing individuals to acknowledge the personal issues they face and either be open about the means by which they are trying to overcome them, or learning skills for overcoming and coping through the experiences of others who also share in the same setting. If this sounds like your ‘vybe’ or ‘scene’, ElevateWi hosts, Grounded on each first Sunday of the month at various locations around the island of St. Thomas. To find out the details of each upcoming session, check them out on their social media pages (Facebook, Instagram: @wielevate).
The ElevateWi team currently includes an Administrative Director, Operations Manager, Digital Media Coordinator, Creative Director, Communications Director, Studio Director and Grant Writer. This team’s focus is to collaborate with local schools and the University of the Virgin Islands, with a diverse range of programs like theater production, podcasting, and photography and most recently features co-working spaces. Additionally, the organization emphasizes the importance of local talent and is expanding its facilities to offer more creative opportunities for young people.
Between the reeds…with Tyrone
Operations Consultant Tyrone Reid, shared that ElevateWi has newly launched its StageCraft Academy, a six week intensive theater program for twelve to eighteen year olds, which at the time of the Sip N’ Paint event was in its fifth week. The program covers various aspects of theater, including production, directing, and scriptwriting. Reid aims to host a capstone event with three hundred attendees to showcase and show off the students’ accomplishments. In addition to this, ElevateWi plans to expand into multiple creative fields, including vocal training, culinary arts, and game design. Reid emphasized the organization’s goal of fostering a sustainable, healthy arts community in the Virgin Islands, supporting young artists without requiring them to leave the Territory to develop their skills and broaden their experiences. He also highlighted the need for better community awareness and funding. To donate to this great work, you can visit the group’s website: www.wielevate.org
Stay tuned to Yellow Cedar Media for future updates on the achievements and happenings with the ElevateWi or WiElevate team, doing their part to transform the U.S. Virgin Islands for the better, through emotional healing and the arts.
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