Waitukubuli Artists Association

The Waitukubuli Artist Association (WAA) was founded in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, when master artist Earl Etienne and Craig Steadman of DEXIA brought together a group of local visual artists to create a unified voice for the arts in Dominica. Artist Lowell Royer stepped forward as the association's first president, leading the organization for six years and laying much of its foundational infrastructure.

Over eight years, WAA has grown from a small collective into a community of over 90 members — 70 percent of them young people aged 18 to 30 — spanning painters, sculptors, photographers, poets, musicians, actors, and circus artists. The association is volunteer-run and currently led by filmmaker and photographer Michael Lees. Its work includes large-scale murals commissioned by organizations across Dominica, group exhibitions staged in unconventional venues, mentorship and visual arts classes for emerging artists, and collaborations with government and cultural institutions. WAA co-founded WaituCirque, a closely linked circus arts initiative, and continues to shape Dominica's cultural and visual landscape from the ground up.