Maritime Arts and Inspiration Center, chapter 3

the reason we were on the island of andros was MAIC, the Maritime Arts and Inspiration Center, which is the vision of george and scout's friend pete (who i will elaborate on later). MAIC is meant to be a place where artists, students, teachers and local Bahamian artisans can cross-pollinate and 'promote ideas of sustainability in rural island communities'.

to get to the center, one must cross the 'swash', a vast pool of water that ranges from ankle to knee-deep, depending on the tide. at first, visitors are confused about how to find their way through the swash. but slowly, you realize that all you must do is follow your guides...




pete sculpted these giant sea turtle heads and submerged them in the sand. i think we counted 14 of them, leading the way through the soft sandy sea water...


...and this humble former schoolhouse is the heart of MAIC. it feels like a deserted desert island, and we camped in tents here for two of the seven nights we spent on andros.