Lancaster Great House was purchased by Sir Martyn and Lady Arbib in 1999 with the intention of establishing a Centre for The Arts for Barbados. The house was renovated and the ground floor reception rooms were converted, lighting and air-conditioning installed to provide what has proved to be one of the finest exhibition spaces in the Caribbean. The exhibitions have succeeded in highlighting the best of Barbadian, Caribbean, European and Canadian art over the past five years and the programme has expanded significantly to include work shops, lectures, artists in residence, and numerous other activities.