FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! Grand Bahama’s eco-art competition returns with a new theme celebrating the sounds, stories, and spirit of The Bahamas.

• 

• 

• 

FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! is officially back for its second season, inviting artists, families, schools, community groups, organizations and creators of all ages across Grand Bahama to transform discarded materials into art that celebrates Bahamian culture and island life.

Following the success of its inaugural student competition, FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! is expanding beyond its original student focus to introduce two divisions for the 2026–2027 season: a Student Division for students in Grades 4–13 and an All-Ages Community Division.

This season’s theme, “Rake ‘N’ Recreate: Art Celebrates Culture,” draws inspiration from the rhythm and spirit of Rake ‘N’ Scrape and invites participants to explore the sounds, sights, stories, traditions and natural beauty that make The Bahamas uniquely ours.

Participants are challenged to collect reclaimed materials from beach and community clean-ups, around their homes, schools and neighborhoods, or from items that would otherwise be discarded, and transform them into original 2D or 3D works of art.

“Last season showed us just how powerful this initiative can be,” said Brittney Baldwin, President and Co-Founder of the Bahamas Environmental Recycling Initiative (BERI). “We wanted to take that momentum and expand the canvas so to speak to include the community as well as students. The Rake ‘N’ Recreate season gives adults the opportunity to participate, while expanding the space to celebrate the culture, traditions and places that make Grand Bahama home.”

The inaugural competition culminated in a public exhibition at MOSAIC Art Hub featuring student-created works made from reclaimed materials, with 17-year-old Grand Bahama artist Aiden K. Rahming taking the $1,000 Grand Prize for his sculpture A Turtle’s Tail, created primarily from beach debris including buoys, marine rope, bottle caps, and plastic waste.

Season Two builds on that foundation while placing an even greater emphasis on Bahamian identity and creative interpretation. Participants might draw inspiration from Junkanoo, Rake ‘N’ Scrape, Bahamian wildlife, bush medicine, straw craft, native landscapes, the sea, or the everyday details of island life.

“FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! is part of a much larger vision for how we think about materials and waste in The Bahamas,” said Merilyn Ritchie, Vice President and Co-Founder of BERI. “We want to encourage people to see value where they might otherwise see rubbish—to keep useful materials out of the landfill, rethink what we throw away, and find ways to return those resources to our communities through creativity and practical action.”

This season of FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! is proudly presented by the Ministry for Grand Bahama, its title sponsor.

The competition is completely free to enter. Participants may enter individually or as a group, and all entries must be made primarily from reclaimed materials. Selected works will be featured in the official FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! Eco-Art Exhibition in February 2027, with a $1,000 first prize awarded in each division.

Running alongside the competition is the GB School Clean-Up Challenge, which runs from August 2026 through February 2027. Participating schools will organize off-campus beach and inland clean-ups and compete to collect the greatest amount of debris throughout the season. The winning school will receive a $1,000 donation to its Eco Club or Art Department in recognition of its commitment to keeping Grand Bahama clean.

Together, the two initiatives encourage participants to move beyond simply talking about environmental responsibility and take tangible action—collecting debris, reclaiming materials, creating art and building pride in the places they call home.

Entries for FROM WASTE, WE CREATE! Season Two will be accepted through February 12, 2027.

LEARN MORE & ENTER

Website: beribahamas.com/fwwc/

Instagram: @FromWasteWeCreate

Facebook: @FromWasteWeCreate

Email: beribahamas@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +1 242-813-1539

Photos courtesy of From Waste We Create