KINGSTON, Jamaica — A new national art prize of $1.5 million has been announced in honour of Peggy Blades, the deceased matriarch of the Blades family and the former director of Mussons Jamaica Limited.

The prize will be awarded annually to support and highlight young Jamaican artists, educators and school art programmes.

The Peggy Blades Art Prize will first be presented on October 2, 2025, during the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Art Competition and awards ceremony at the Confucius Institute, on the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus.

The initiative, supported by the Musson Foundation, aims to encourage creativity and strengthen art education in schools across the island. The award will be integrated into the JCDC’s national Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition.

There will be multiple categories, including top-performing student artists, educators and school art departments.

It will also provide funding for workshops and teaching resources to help build long-term art programmes in schools.

Known for her quiet philanthropy, Blades supported numerous social initiatives and had a personal appreciation for the arts and education.

According to her daughter, Susan Scott, who is also an artist, the award is intended to create opportunities for children and teachers to engage with art in meaningful ways.

Noting how deeply personal the award is for the family, Scott shared, “Through the Peggy Blades Art Prize, we are honouring a woman whose warmth, generosity and love of Jamaica touched everyone she met. Our hope is that every child who takes part feels encouraged to explore their creativity, because that spark of imagination can change a life.”