Private Art & Culture Tour in Tortola Virgin Islands
Overview
Inclusions
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Seating - customize your tour by selecting forward facing seating or sit facing each other
- Bottled water
- Binoculars for bird watching at Josiah's Bay Pond
- Entry/Admission - The Pottery Garden
- Entry/Admission - Jenesis Studios
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Jenesis Studios, Great Mountain, Tortola VG1110, British Virgin Islands
Local Artist Reuben Vanterpool takes you on a cultural journey guiding you through his garden, museum/gallery & traditional oven bakery. Here you can get a taste of Virgin Island life before the 1960's. The facility also includes a mini gift shop & snacket.
Mr. Vanterpool is one of the most prominent Artist in the Virgin Is. practicing for over 45 years and mainly works in oil/acrylic on canvas. Many of his beautiful paintings illustrates the early life and culture of the Virgin Is.
Jenesis Studios is truly a gem of culture and is well worth the visit.
*Added Option* - Bread Baking
Observe baking in a traditional oven and sample the goods when complete, along with other goodies! +$20
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Pottery Garden, Josiah's Bay, Road Town Tortola
Local Ceramic Artist Karl Burnett shows you around his pottery grounds "The Pottery Garden" where you'll be immersed in an "earthmade experience".
Karl explains his journey as a mainly self taught potter, talks about his making processes and explains his impressive wood fired kiln which is covered in local stone.
Take a guided walk through his workshop where the excitement kicks up a notch with live demonstrations on the potter's wheel and other pottery production techniques!
After seeing how the pots are made browse around the quaint studio gallery featuring Karl's handmade pieces for sale where you can purchase a keepsake to remember your visit.
Karl Burnett is the best known and only local potter in practice on Tortola.
The Pottery Garden is a pottery studio placed in a tropical garden just a few minutes away from beautiful Josiah's Bay beach and is an experience you won't regret!
*Added Option* - Clay play
Get a try at the wheel during the demo section of the tour + $5
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Tortola, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Sightseeing & stops at points of interest
Take in beautiful views and learn Virgin Islands history and culture on a relaxing drive between studios.
See a historical ruin and visit the salt pond at Josiah's bay where you can see flamingos and other bird life(binoculars included).
Duration: 45 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
This was a fantastic and personalized tour. The owner of the Pottery Garden was very communicative even when I hadn’t returned his message until after 10 PM the night before. He was on time, informative, friendly, and helpful as we navigated around the island. I met his wife at the studio and the...
This was a fantastic and personalized tour. The owner of the Pottery Garden was very communicative even when I hadn’t returned his message until after 10 PM the night before. He was on time, informative, friendly, and helpful as we navigated around the island. I met his wife at the studio and they were both very warm and inviting, teaching the ins and outs of pottery making as well as showing me around their garden and many fruit trees. I had such a good lesson I was able to successfully create my first clay pot on a wheel and for a small charge they offered to fire it and ship it back to the States for me directly!! I also purchased a handmade clay water whistle from their gallery which sounds magical like birds chirping! We then went to see Mr. Vanderpool at his museum and gallery for a deep dive into the Tortola before tourism. I got intimate, first hand accounts of his life growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, saw his amazing paintings, and toured his extensive garden of local and interesting plants and trees. He was able to paint a literal and figurative picture of what life was like here just 60 years ago. Mr. Vanderpool lived up to his reputation as a local legend and left me with a mango from his tree and gooseberry juice!We traveled on New Year's day so the art studio was not open but spent a wonderful day at the Pottery Garden. We were picked up from our cruise ship and got an island tour on the way there. The studio is in a garden setting with a showroom and a work area. We were able to have fun with clay an...
We traveled on New Year's day so the art studio was not open but spent a wonderful day at the Pottery Garden. We were picked up from our cruise ship and got an island tour on the way there. The studio is in a garden setting with a showroom and a work area. We were able to have fun with clay and try the potter's wheel. On the way back, we stopped to see a beach and learned more history. Definitely a nice way to break up a trip with many beach stops and great during inclement weather. Everyone had a great time.Best part was learning to make our own pots.on a wheel. Great guide and you get to know the history of the island.. good for families.
Best part was learning to make our own pots.on a wheel. Great guide and you get to know the history of the island.. good for families.The pottery experience was great. Karl was patient with us. We always wanted to try making pottery and there is no better place to try than the BVI. Karl was informative and heightened our interest in continuing after we return home. He is preparing our pieces and sending them to us. We can’t wai...
The pottery experience was great. Karl was patient with us. We always wanted to try making pottery and there is no better place to try than the BVI. Karl was informative and heightened our interest in continuing after we return home. He is preparing our pieces and sending them to us. We can’t wait to see them. Highly recommend. Karl is also very knowledgeable about Tortola - learned a lot as we drove around.The visit to the artist's studio and garden was pretty cool, but being able to create our own pottery items in the pottery studio was a GREAT experience!
The visit to the artist's studio and garden was pretty cool, but being able to create our own pottery items in the pottery studio was a GREAT experience!My husband and I booked this tour directly with Karl. It was such a wonderful experience learning about the culture and history of Tortola. We did a driving tour of the island, explored a local museum and gallery, then finished off the tour with pottery and clay play at his studio. Karl’s love of...
My husband and I booked this tour directly with Karl. It was such a wonderful experience learning about the culture and history of Tortola. We did a driving tour of the island, explored a local museum and gallery, then finished off the tour with pottery and clay play at his studio. Karl’s love of pottery and the island is infectious! Highly recommend this tour!