As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Island School, we also want to celebrate the community, people, resiliency, and culture that have defined our journey. Art, in particular, has played an essential role in our history, and we are honored to celebrate an artist whose vision resonates with our mission: Antonius Roberts. 

Antonius is a world-renowned Bahamian sculptor whose work explores themes of history, culture, and community in The Bahamas. His art demonstrates the importance of sustainability, resiliency, and creative expression. Antonius is also a longtime friend of The Island School and now serves on our Board.

Affecting Change Through Creative Expression

Throughout his career, Antonius has served as a teacher and a mentor for young Bahamian artists, embodying The Island School’s mission to create leaders who effect change  inspiring the next generation of creative visionaries. His latest venture, ICE (Incubator for Collaborative Expression), is a space for young artists to learn and create with guidance from peers and mentors.

Antonius has visited the Island School campus a number of times to create powerful, lasting symbols of our values—a testament to the role art plays in shaping not only our surroundings but our collective vision.

Creating Space For Wellness and Community at The Island School

In the fall of 2024, Antonius returned to The Island School to work alongside our Fall 2024 Semester students on a monument that celebrates our 25th anniversary and reflects a sense of community and purpose. This piece—which uses lime, discarded conch shells, and other natural materials—is a reflection of our commitment to sustainable practices and was guided by three key values: sustainability, resilience, and wellness. 

As our students explored campus with Anotnius, searching for a location that felt both intentional and accessible, they landed upon a small cove of palm trees just north of our Dining Hall, which connects to our Wellness Center. This area, which once hosted our circle and was home to our flagpole, looks out over the water and towards the horizon. Facing directly into the most powerful gusts of wind that sweep across the ocean and onto campus, the area is a symbol of our ability to weather even the most powerful storms—both literal and figurative. Additionally, the piece was designed to highlight the importance of wellness, particularly our responsibility as citizens of the Earth to take care of ourselves, one another, and our planet. 

This student-led installment will serve as a gathering place where students and visitors alike can reflect, connect, and find a moment of stillness.

With guidance from Antonius, the students settled on a design that resembled the bow of a ship that would be watched over by a string strong matriarch, which was aptly named ‘The Bow.’ 

After the group had settled on the location and finalized the design, the next step was to gather the materials. In alignment with The Island School’s commitment to sustainability, they built this installation using only natural materials, including limestone (or “lime”), conch shells, wood, straw, and other local supplies. The students first had to build a kiln to create the lime by firing discarded conch shells from the local conch fishery. Once they had created the lime, they got to work building the piece itself. At the heart of the piece stands three women, carved by Antonius from azobé wood.  This wood, native to West Africa, serves as a physical embodiment of the cultural pluralism of The Bahamas.  The women themselves face the northern horizon, gazing towards the future of both The Island School and The Bahamas.

The Island School Establishes an Artist In Residence Program

The Island School, in partnership with Antonius Roberts and ICE, will invite visiting Bahamian artists to our campus starting this spring. The goal of the residency is two fold, allowing visiting artists to explore Eleuthera and gain a sense of belonging within the Island School community to develop a sense of place in their art making practice, as well as to enrich students’ learning experiences by delivering unique masterclasses that provide an artistic outlet for storytelling.

Antonius’ influence reaches far beyond this program; his focus on sustainability and resiliency through art mirrors The Island School’s commitment to these ideals. With this new initiative, we look forward to inspiring even more creativity, honoring our roots, and creating a legacy of art that will carry us forward for another 25 years.