What some might dismiss as a simple casual yellow outerwear piece redefined one Bahamian high school student’s entire understanding of what qualifies as creative art. For a peer, a thought-provoking sculpture centered on marine and land pollution uncovered unexpected aesthetic beauty in discarded, burnt materials that most people would overlook entirely. These moments of revelation unfolded across every corner of the FUZE Art Fair, where hundreds of participating students encountered immersive, boundary-pushing artworks that encouraged them to slow down, examine details closely, ask critical questions about the stories behind each piece, and brainstorm innovative new methods to express their own unique perspectives. For the second year running, Scotiabank has formalized its collaborative partnership with the Baha Mar Foundation to sponsor the dedicated FUZE student school tour program, held as a core featured component of the Scotiabank-presented Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival at Baha Mar. These curated guided tours granted K-12 student attendees exclusive access to a diverse collection of artworks originating from The Bahamas, the broader Caribbean region, and creative communities across the globe, along with rare face-to-face meetings with the creators themselves to unpack the personal narratives, cultural contexts, and conceptual frameworks that shaped each finished piece. Dozens of trained Scotiabank staff members volunteered to serve as on-site tour guides, walking alongside student groups to facilitate discussions, point out subtle details in exhibits, and help facilitate direct, meaningful interactions between young attendees and visiting professional artists. For 11th grader Takarie Brown from the International School of Business and Economics (ISBET), the seemingly ordinary yellow jacket art installation served as a transformative eureka moment. “That exhibit completely shifted my way of thinking, I never realized that fashion design could be categorized as a legitimate form of fine art too. It shows you that there are no limits to how you can share your personality and voice with the world,” Brown shared. The opportunity to demystify the creative process and show young people all the untapped possibilities that art can unlock is exactly what drives Roger Archer, Managing Director of Scotiabank Bahamas, to champion this long-term partnership and the student tour initiative. “Investing in and elevating the domestic arts ecosystem across The Bahamas is a core priority for our organization. Art is one of the most powerful tools we have to preserve our collective cultural stories and bridge generational divides,” Archer explained. “Welcoming hundreds of students through the fair doors over the course of the festival week let us showcase pieces that authentically capture our shared identity as Caribbean citizens, and specifically as Bahamians, so these young people can see clearly that they hold the power to pick up a brush, a camera, or any other medium to carry those stories forward.” 10th grade Government High School attendee J’Leiah Johnson found herself immediately drawn to a large-scale sculptural installation that centered the urgent issue of local environmental pollution. Its towering geometric forms constructed from charred reclaimed materials immediately caught her eye, demonstrating firsthand how a pressing, often disheartening environmental challenge could be reimagined and transformed into a visually striking, thoughtful work of art. Her 12th grade classmate Suze Augustin left the fair with a renewed surge of creative motivation, after witnessing the step-by-step process through which professional artists translate abstract, half-formed ideas in their heads into tangible, finished public art pieces. The experience pushed her to stop putting off her own creative projects, and start sketching her concepts on paper with far greater confidence in her own abilities. This year’s programming also falls during a major milestone for Scotiabank, as the institution marks 70 consecutive years of operating and serving communities across The Bahamas. Its ongoing commitment to funding the FUZE student tours stands as a tangible reflection of its long-stated pledge to invest in local youth, and create accessible, hands-on opportunities for young Bahamians to learn, explore new interests, and unlock their full untapped potential. For local educators, the FUZE fair represents an invaluable, hands-on extension of standard classroom learning that breaks down the walls of traditional academic spaces. Rashelle Thompson Wright, Visual Arts Subject Coordinator at Government High School, noted that the chance to meet working professional artists and view their work in person helped her students dismantle the common misconception that a creative career is something they can only pursue years later, after finishing university. “They realize this isn’t a path you have to wait until you leave home and go off to college to start. You can nurture and develop your creative skills right now, starting in your high school art classroom,” Wright emphasized. Cian Sawyer, founder of Holon Learning, who brought student groups to the fair for the second consecutive year, explained that exposing young people to art that centers Bahamian and wider Caribbean cultural themes gives them a rare, meaningful chance to connect more deeply with their own cultural identities and shared community histories. “My greatest hope is that every student walks away from this event feeling a stronger sense of rootedness in their own Bahamian heritage, while also feeling connected to the wider regional Caribbean community. I want them to leave feeling genuinely inspired, to have encountered unexpected beauty, and to leave with more curious questions than they arrived with,” Sawyer shared. Through its sustained, multi-year support of the FUZE school tour program, Scotiabank is creating lasting, accessible pathways for Bahamian young people to engage with the arts, deepen their connection to their unique cultural heritage, and dream up bold new possibilities for their own creative futures.
Through Their Eyes: Scotiabank helps students discover the power of art at FUZE
