Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation has joined forces with the Mellon Foundation for a major new initiative celebrating Caribbean arts and culture.
Together, they’ve launched The Ripple Effect, a partnership designed to uplift locally driven creative solutions while expanding access to art across Barbados and the wider Caribbean. The project will provide financial support to selected cultural organizations, helping them build sustainable funding opportunities for artists and arts-focused groups.
To kick things off, The Ripple Effect will debut with a brand-new exhibition highlighting the richness of Caribbean creativity.
“Barbados is who I am. It will always be at the heart of the Clara Lionel Foundation, and nothing makes me more proud than amplifying Caribbean voices on a global stage,” Rihanna told Complex. “I’m incredibly thankful to the Mellon Foundation for sharing this vision with us by showcasing these incredible artists who are creating work that moves people to think differently.”
Open to the public through August 30, The Ripple Effect exhibit is being hosted at Caribbean Brushstrokes gallery in Bridgetown, Barbados, and curated by Fresh Milk Barbados. The showcase features works from visual artists and CLF fellows Simone Asia, Russell Watson, Anna Gibson, and Ronald Williams. Through themes like climate solutions, health justice, and women’s entrepreneurship, the collection highlights how Caribbean voices continue to shape innovation in both art and economic growth.
“Thirteen years after CLF’s founding, our partnership with the Mellon Foundation represents a full-circle moment—amplifying the voices and talents that have always been part of our organization’s DNA, starting right here in Barbados,” said Jessie Schutt-Aine, Executive Director of the Clara Lionel Foundation. “What visitors will experience in this exhibition is the incredible artistry that has always existed here, now with the institutional backing to reach an international stage. This partnership honors CLF’s beginnings while leveraging our years of proven community-led impact across the Caribbean and beyond.”
