Highlights from our 2019 Calendar
Sir Dunstan St Omer, SLC, was given the honor of designing the National Flag when Saint Lucia became independent in 1979. He was educated in the local schools where his artistic talents were recognized, particularly during his secondary school years at St. Mary’s College. He later went to Puerto Rico to pursue further study and development of his craft.
Sir Dunstan worked with the Ministry of Education as an Art Specialist for over 30 years, remaining there until his retirement in 2000. While at the Ministry, he was credited with initiating a programme to incorporate the art of painting into the educational curriculum at the infant and primary school levels, an initiative which has been credited for developing a whole new generation of local painters.
Sir Dunstan is very well known locally for his creative murals, which are featured in a number of Catholic Churches in Saint Lucia. His best known figure is of a black Christ seen at the Fond St. Jacques Church near Soufriere. The murals have drawn both acclaim and criticism for his depictions of black divinity.
He has received many awards and accolades including:
The Papal Medal by the Catholic Church
The Saint Lucia Cross by the Saint Lucia Government on the occasion of the island’s 25th Anniversary of Independence
Declared National Cultural Hero by Folk Research Centre (2007)
Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the University of the West Indies (2009)
Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the arts in Saint Lucia, the Caribbean and the World (2010)
