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Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas to showcase Caribbean artistsRoyal Caribbean's Star of the Seas to showcase Caribbean artists

Four selected artists will be commissioned to paint large-scale murals in four highly visible locations aboard the next Icon-class ship.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

January 16, 2025

2 Min Read
Caribbean artists featured on Icon of the Seas include, from left, Haiti's Phillipe Dodard, The Bahamas' Angelika Wallace-Whitfield and Trinidad and Tobago's Jason Hospedales PHOTOS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Royal Caribbean International's 'Artist Discovery Program' will showcase Caribbean artists aboard Star of the Seas.

Set to debut at Port Canaveral in August, this second Icon-class ship will provide a dynamic canvas for up-and-coming artists to share their work with vacationers from all over the world.

Artists across the Caribbean can send their submissions starting today through Feb. 15 to https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/artist-discovery-program/.

Overwhelming response for Icon

Introduced on Icon of the Seas, the 'Artist Discovery Program' now looks to rising Caribbean artists for Star's curated art collection.

'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, Star of the Seas.'

Large-scale murals

Four selected artists will be commissioned to paint large-scale murals in four highly visible locations including the Royal Promenade, the embarkation area, the Suite Sun Deck Lobby and Suite Sun Deck.

Related:Royal Caribbean invites emerging artists to create works for Icon of the Seas

Each artist will receive a grant ranging from $20,000 to more than $100,000, to see their vision through. As artists in residence, the winners will work closely with the Royal Caribbean's team later this year to bring their concepts to life at Meyer Turku, where Star is under construction.

Interested artists must submit five samples of previous works (the work must be original), a brief statement that helps explain their work, inspiration and other details regarding the pieces submitted and their CV/resume.

This year's selected artists will join the 2023 inaugural cohort that created iconic murals featured throughout Icon of the Seas. They include Angelika Wallace-Whitfield of The Bahamas, Phillipe Dodard of Haiti and Jason Hospedales of Trinidad and Tobago. Millions of Icon passenges have had the chance to see their artworks.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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