Our Mission

Exchange knowledge

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.

Empower the community

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. These programs will include visual arts, music instrument making, music, dance, theatre and trade skills.

Enhance our culture

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. JAarts is more than an arts center—it is a movement to celebrate, sustain, and elevate Caribbean creativity. Join us in building a future where art, culture, and community thrive together.

IMG_5975 (1).jpeg
IMG_6192.jpeg
442b3e78-f148-444f-85b8-84e0879296c2.jpeg
IMG_5102.jpeg

Development Timeline

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.

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.

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

If you’d like to donate directly to JAarts you can send donations via PayPal to jeffsbanjer@yahoo.com and in the subject include Donation for JAarts.

  • Secure property, clear land.

  • Construct woodworking studio and outdoor teaching space, secure property.

  • Build 12 student/researcher cabins, develop an open-air kitchen.

  • Establish a music building and an open-air performance space for theater, dance, and concerts.

  • Construct a visual arts building and an art gallery/museum.

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.