Chester A. Delacruz II

CHESTER DELACRUZ moved his residence from Mississippi to St. Croix in mid-November 2001 when, earlier during a summer visit as a house-and-cat-sitter, he discovered the island's beauty offered him unlimited opportunities for expression as an artist.  Prior to that, Delacruz sketched and/or painted only occasionally when he was commissioned, leaving most of his art to be seen onstage as backdrops and set pieces to theatrical productions or mural paintings in his home town of Biloxi or wherever he chose to live:  Houston, Texas; Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana; and off-Broadway in New York City.

Since coming to St. Croix, Delacruz has been fortunate to have his artwork featured at the Iona Skye Gallery in Christiansted for Art Thursday, November 2002, the annual "Flowers and Fine Art" exhibit at the Botanical Garden in 2002, 2003, and 2004, "Seven New Artists" at Campen Gallery, and the Annual Caribbean Art Show at Good Hope School in 2003 and 2004.  His art has been on exhibit at the two Whim Museum stores, Christiansted Gallery, Yellow House Gallery, and Many Hands Gallery.  Most recently, he was featured artist at Danica Gallery during the month of December 2003. Recently Delacruz's scenic design and art has been seen onstage for the Caribbean Community Theatre in Island Center's Sidney Lee Theater--most notably for the musicals BIG RIVER and SPITFIRE GRILL as well as the play SARAH & ADDIE.  Delacruz enjoys working in water colors and oils primarily but he's just as comfortable using pencil, pen-and-ink or acrylics.  He received a BS degree in Art from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1957.

Mr. Delacruz's artwork is presently represented at Art FX Studio Gallery in Gulfport, MS.  Mr. Delacruz's art can also be found in the gift shop at Estate Whim on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.  In the future, one of Mr. Delacruz's watercolor paintings will be seen in the Caribbean Art Calendar for 2005!