Government has kept its promise to make direct investments in recognising the top contestant of the National Queen Show hosted during Spice Mas 2023.

Minister responsible for Culture, Hon. Ron Redhead handed over a Cheque of $1,300.00 on Thursday 5 October, 2023 to Anika John, Miss St Andrew who was the first runner-up in the National Queen Show 2023.

Minister noted Ms John’s remarkable showcase of great talent when she painted a portrait of herself in under 4 minutes on the night of the competition.

The culture minister said visual arts which has not been getting the full attention required over many years is part of the creative spectrum of what culture is about.

He said, “When we speak of culture it is from a wide spectrum of elements and visual arts is one of them”.

Minister Redhead stated that the token is a direct investment to help Ms. John improve her ability to paint and continue along the creative path.