The Blue Economy celebrates World Ocean Day 2026 with Mural and Art Competition Award Ceremony by Shenequa Williams

The ceremony brought together government officials, educators, students, and stakeholders to celebrate the important connection between people and the ocean while highlighting the role young people can and should play in promoting ocean conservation and climate action.

Among those in attendance were Honourable Rand Baltimore/Minister of State for the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy (MALFBE), Senator Jonathan Wehner, Senator Shaquan O’Neil, Youth Ambassadors, representatives from the Ministry of Education, other officials from the MALFBE, teachers, and students from participating schools.

The event was one of many activities planned for the country’s observance of World Ocean Month 2026 to be held under the global theme, “Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean and Climate.” Participants were also encouraged to wear blue in recognition of World Ocean Day, an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of the world’s oceans.

In her welcome remarks, Ms Ann Louise Hill/Director (ag) of the Department of the Blue Economy, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming response to the competition.

Approximately 50 entries were submitted from seven schools across Antigua and Barbuda. Hill noted that the quality of the submissions demonstrated the creativity and talent of the nation’s youth while helping to build awareness of the importance of oceans and the blue economy from an early age.

She emphasized that World Ocean Day serves as a timely reminder of the critical role oceans play in supporting human well-being, regulating the climate, and sustaining biodiversity. At the same time, she noted the increasing pressures facing marine ecosystems and highlighted the blue economy as a framework for balancing economic growth with the preservation and protection of ocean health.

Mr. Bernard Peters/Education Officer representing the Ministry of Education for Visual Arts commended the Department of the Blue Economy for its efforts and praised the students for using art to showcase the country’s relationship with the sea.

Delivering the feature address was Miss Marver Woodley/Senior Policy (ag) and Operations Manager within the Department of the Blue Economy, she reflected on the vision behind the competition and the importance of engaging young people in conversations about sustainable ocean use.

Woodley explained that the Department was launched in December 2020, was established to explore opportunities for economic growth through the sustainable use of ocean resources. She noted that the Blue Economy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including fisheries, shipping, environmental management, education, the arts, entrepreneurship, and community development.

She praised the students for their creativity and explained that participants were given complete freedom in how they expressed their ideas, whether through paint, markers, crayons, digital tools, or other artistic methods.

“Their vision, ideas, and creativity were allowed to come to life,” she said.

Additionally, Woodley also thanked teachers for supporting students throughout the competition and recognized the Ministry’s Communications Unit for helping to expand the initiative. She revealed that many of the submitted artworks will be featured in an upcoming illustrated book series, ensuring that the students’ contributions continue to inspire others beyond the competition.

The overview of the Competition was done by Carol-Faye Bynoe-George/Head of Communications Unit and head judge for the mural art competition. In addition to commending the budding young artists she advised that keener attention must be paid to the theme and purpose of the competition so that the artwork submitted would reflect a clear message and a good representation of the purpose intended.

The competition’s winning artwork was praised for beautifully capturing the World Ocean Day theme, “Re-imagining a New Relationship with Our Ocean,” through a depiction of the past, present, and future of the marine environment and the importance of conservation.

Students received certificates and prizes in recognition of their achievements, while all participants were applauded for their efforts to raise awareness about ocean conservation through art.

The schools participated were Freetown Primary, Buckleys Primary, JT Ambrose, Pares Primary, Newfield Primary, Freeman Village Primary, Charlesworth T Samuel Primary and the only private school competing was Tabernacle Academy. First place went to Kaylee Gore of the Buckleys Primary, second place was captured by Destiny Grant and third place went to Necasia Ralph of JT Ambrose.

The Department of the Blue Economy indicated that it intends to make the mural competition an annual feature of its World Ocean Month activities, providing future opportunities for students to showcase their talents while contributing to national conversations on environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

As World Ocean Day 2026 was celebrated around the globe, the award ceremony served as a reminder that protecting the ocean is a shared responsibility and that the creativity and enthusiasm of young people will play a vital role in shaping a more sustainable future for Antigua and Barbuda.

HAPPY WORLD OCEAN DAY!

HAPPY WORLD OCEAN MONTH ANTIGUA & BARBUDA!