From the moment you drive up to the studio of ceramic artist and sculptor Gene Pearson, you are greeted by one of his many works of art: a gigantic steel gate in the shape of his iconic Nubian mask. It’s this mask, the head, that the artist has become known for internationally. Pearson, a 1965 graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and […]
A Look Behind the Two Wheels One Love BMX Program
Much like surfing in Jamaica, BMX (bicycle motocross) is a sport that is slowly becoming a hit among the young people of Jamaica. Far from the white sand beaches of Jamaica, BMX began in the 1970s when young cyclists in the United States appropriated motocross tracks for their own use for wild stunts and races. The sport continued to rise in popularity in the states […]
Learn How to Make this Easy Jamaican Breakfast
One of the most popular breakfast meals in Jamaica is porridge. The classic dish is a mainstay in many households across the island, and for good reason. According to a study by Harvard University, whole grains such the oats used in porridge may be the key to living longer. Today, we’re sharing sisters Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau’s (who are authors of a cookbook) most essential […]
“Welcome back,” Jamaica shares its Story with the World
1972 was a monumental year for the Jamaican Tourist Board and Sintra Bronte. It was the year the JTB released a promotional campaign that would go on to become one of the most iconic advertisements for Jamaica to this day. While we’ve already shared the incredible story behind Jamaica’s most famous poster on Outpostings, the 1970s had much more to offer when it came to […]
Check Out This Artist’s Studio in Jamaica
For many people, leaving home and venturing off to new lands is the impetus for living a life of passion. For David Pinto, a Jamaican ceramic artist, it was the other way around. Pinto, who was born in Jamaica, left home for his studies both in England and the U.S. at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After completing his training and working […]
Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Debut Novel is a Love Letter to Jamaica
Jamaican-born author Nicole Dennis-Benn recently released her debut novel, Here Comes the Sun, to much critical acclaim. The book delves deep into a Jamaica rarely seen by tourists—one that includes exploitation, classism, and sexuality. In an email interview with Outpostings, New York-based Dennis-Benn discussed the book and where she finds her happy place when visiting Jamaica. Here, she shares her personal tips on how visitors […]
Jamaica is Making History at Rio 2016
Ready, set, Rio! More than 11,000 athletes from 206 national teams are competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics, which kicked off in Rio de Janeiro on August 5th and will run until August 21st. Everyone is hoping to take home the gold for their country. In Jamaica, all eyes are on hometown superstars Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Toni Ann Williams and the other 56 team […]
In the Kitchen with Jamaica’s Top Culinary Duo
Rousseau sisters with Johnny Iuzzini at NyamJam We’re back in the kitchen with Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau, the chefs behind the island’s popular cooking series Two Sisters and a meal. The duo’s cookbook, Caribbean Potluck, came out in 2014, and last year they participated in Island Outpost’s innaugural NyamJam Festival.. They recently dished about the lessons they’ve learned over the years being food entrepreneurs on Outpostings, […]
How a Study Abroad in Cape Verde Led to a New Life in Jamaica
Photo via Ashley Hyde Travel has a way of changing your life in an impactful way. That’s what happened to Ashley Hyde, who runs one of Jamaica’s most promising new travel companies, Touch the Road Jamaica. In 2011, Connecticut-raised Hyde visited Cape Verde with her college for a program on migrant workers who’d been deported back to the island nation. During her senior year, Hyde […]
Visit this Shop in Kingston for Tips on Healthy Living
Here in Jamaica we pride ourselves on leading a healthy, natural lifestyle. But Princess—she doesn’t give her last name—takes that mindset to the next level. For nearly 20 years, she’s run a small herbal shop at the Crossroads Market in downtown Kingston, selling natural remedies to maladies from the common cold to stress, anxiety and, she says, cancer. Outpostings visited to talk to Princess, who […]
Meet the Man Saving Jamaica’s Sea Turtles
Mel Tennant came to Jamaica in 2003, purchasing a home overlooking Oracabessa’s Gibraltar Beach, and expecting to enjoy his retirement in tropical quiet. The following year, Tennant observed turtle tracks on Gibraltar Beach for the first time. Further investigation led him to find that most of the adult turtles were either killed and their nests dug up. The destruction of a critically endangered species would […]
How One Jamaican Art Gallery Made Being an Artist Cool
In Jamaica today, art is literally everywhere—from roadside murals and dancehall signs to an abandoned warehouse-turned-art-exhibit.. But only in the last few decades have artists found local support for their talents. In the 1950s, Edna Manley founded the island’s first art school (which would later become the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts). And in the 1970s, the National Gallery of Art opened […]
These Ads are so Beautiful You’ll Want to Hang Them in Your Home
Tourism posters have one job: sell their destination. A few weeks ago, we shared Jamaica’s most iconic tourism poster—Sintra Bronte emerging from the water in her Jamaica tee shirt, which definitely fulfilled its duties. While not all posters promoting the island have enjoyed such fame as that 1972 campaign, they’ve still shown Jamaica to be the gorgeous destination we call home. Beginning this month, we’ll […]
The Incredible Story Behind Jamaica’s Most Famous Poster
You may not know her by name, but you’ll recognize Sintra Bronte. After starring in the Jamaican Tourism Board’s 1972 promotional campaigns, she quickly became a Jamaican icon, as synonymous with the island as Bob Marley’s “One Love.” There’s just one issue: Bronte, seen emerging from the water in a clinging red tee-shirt with “Jamaica” printed in black in all-caps lettering, isn’t Jamaican. She’s Trinidadian. […]
Peter Tosh Museum to Open this Summer
This summer, Kingston’s newest museum will open, honoring the late reggae legend Peter Tosh. An internationally renowned musician, social activist and advocate of the Rastafari religion, Tosh died at the age of 42 in 1987 during a tragic home invasion. A self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, he earned fame as a founding member of the Wailers band with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. Together the three […]