The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up to welcome art lovers and travelers for the fourth iteration of its popular Antigua and Barbuda Art Week, scheduled to run across the country from November 11 to 18, 2026. The full preliminary program was revealed earlier this year at an official media launch hosted at Quay Studio, located in the historic Redcliffe Quay district, where organizers introduced a slate of fresh initiatives designed to deepen engagement between local creatives, residents and international visitors.
At the heart of the new programming is ‘Dual Thresholds’, a one-of-a-kind public art installation developed by Quay Barracks Art Galleries. The concept reimagines reclaimed wooden doors as canvases, with each transformed artwork drawing inspiration from the islands’ people, vibrant culture, sweeping coastal landscapes and everyday local life. During the launch, Tourism Authority representative Spencer joined acclaimed visual artist Dylan Phillips to preview two vividly painted doors that will anchor the exhibition — these opening pieces were co-created by Phillips and celebrated local artist Heather Doram, MFA, GCM. In total, the exhibition will showcase 28 freestanding, double-sided door works, all crafted by artists based in Antigua and Barbuda.
Notably, the installation will make its first public appearance ahead of Art Week, during the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which Antigua and Barbuda will host from November 1 to 4 that year. It will remain on display for general public viewing throughout the official Art Week program.
Another centerpiece of the 2026 event is a career retrospective honoring the late Maria Ross Iztueta, a foundational figure in Antigua and Barbuda’s art scene who lived from 1934 to 2024. The exhibition will be the flagship show at The Barracks Gallery, and the announcement was made jointly by curator Stephen Murphy and Iztueta’s daughter, Amaya Ross, at the launch. Murphy emphasized Iztueta’s outsized impact on the local creative community, noting that the retrospective will introduce her groundbreaking work to a new generation of audiences during the week-long event.
The full 2026 Art Week lineup brings a diverse range of experiences beyond the two flagship exhibits. Highlights include the popular ‘Art in the Quay’ showcase, the return of the fan-favorite ‘Art and Cultural Village’, open access to private studios and public galleries paired with intimate ‘Meet the Artist’ sessions, a cross-island ‘Art Trail’ with a new interactive ‘Art Trail Passport’, ‘Flavours & Canvas’ — an immersive experience that blends local culinary arts with open-air painting — a live competitive ‘Art Battle’ where artists create works in real time, curated fashion presentations, and multiple additional pop-up and solo exhibitions. Organizers note that full schedule and ticketing details will be released incrementally in the months leading up to the November 2026 event.
Attendees at the launch event, which included tourism and culture officials, working artists and invited community guests, were treated to two special preview performances tied to Art Week 2026’s overarching campaign theme: ‘Every Destination Has a Story. Ours is Told in Colour.’ These included the world premiere of the first entry in Art Week’s new ‘Meet the Artist’ video series, featuring Heather Doram, as well as a moving dub poetry performance by renowned local poet O’dane Doyley. Several prominent local visual artists, including Emile Hill, Stephen Murphy and Dylan Phillips, also delivered remarks urging fellow creatives across the region to take part in the 2026 event.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority has extended an open invitation to artists based in Antigua and Barbuda and across the wider Caribbean to apply for the event through the ongoing ‘Call for Artists’ process. Submission portals will remain open until July 30 of this year, with the online entry form available on the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’s official Art Week webpage. Organizers are also welcoming involvement from local businesses, nonprofits and community partners through sponsorship opportunities and collaborative programming. For the ‘Dual Thresholds’ initiative specifically, the Tourism Authority is asking local businesses, contractors and community members to donate gently used, structurally sound wooden doors to the Quay Barracks Art Galleries in Redcliffe Quay for participating artists to transform into original works.