A Century Of Achievement

PROJECT DESCRIPTION.

An encounter organized by the Museum of the Americas Foundation with support from the City of Charleston, South Carolina.

To present one hundred years of nation-building and cultural achievement in the Caribbean, as a celebration marking the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exhibition initiated by the Charleston business community in 1902; an exposition dedicated to trade and understanding among the islands and Atlantic coastal cities.

Caribbean Realities will reflect upon that exposition while celebrating the political achievement of independence; as well as musical, artistic and scientific achievements shared and attained in the past one hundred years. Museum directors, historians, anthropologists, performing artists and other cultural leaders together will collaborate to frame the Caribbean Realities Encounter.





















The educational and informational material generated and documented during this interchange will serve as a basis for a collaborative Education Outreach program across the school and library systems of the Southern USA, and the Caribbean, in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourist Boards Schools Project. A special component of MuseLearning and Teach the Teachers programs will be launched and developed, as well.

Caribbean Realities Roundtable discussions, a pre-deposition to the June 2002 festival participation, will draw academics, cultural and tourism professionals, officials from the region, as well as from Inter-American development organizations. Caribbean Realities Workshops will be held in Jamaica and Trinidad/Barbados in October/November to form the basis for the Charleston exposition – during the Spoleto/Piccolo Festival.

PROPOSED CALENDAR OF EVENTS.

Scheduled for June 7 – 8, 2002 in Charleston, S.C. - during the Spoleto Festival & Piccolo Spoleto, a five -part Exposition, held over 2 days, will celebrate the shared cultural heritage of the two regions and build on cultural tourism, trade, education, community and the arts links. Items will include - A CONFERENCE of scholars, cultural workers, Government Ministers of Education and Culture from the Caribbean, civic officials and diplomatic representatives. The Keynote Speaker will be Professor Franklin Knight, distinguished Professor of History & author, from Johns Hopkins University. This will be followed by a Roundtable on Caribbean Culture, to include presentations from visiting Caribbean Cultural experts and participants.

A Friendship Luncheon will bring together The Mayor and city dignitaries and Caribbean Ministers of culture, trade envoys, diplomats and invited guests and in and exchange of regional goodwill. Mr. Jorge Saade, Director of the Music Department, Museum of the Americas will introduce the Americas Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Art Exhibition Launch – "In the Fullness of Time", an exhibition of 32 contemporary artists from Jamaica will showcase multi-media works from the island’s fine artists. The Americas Philharmonic Orchestra, with the Americas Youth choir will make their inaugural appearance; performances by world-renown performers – including a famous Steel Band ensemble will round off the first day’s events. The next day’s schedule of events will include an all Day Caribbean Cuisine cook –out and a street celebration of Caribbean Cuisine, with steel pan, reggae and Caribbean folk music, followed by an award winning film on the Gullah country.

Caribbean Realities Advisory Team:

    1. Anthropology: John H. Rashford, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, College of Charleston
    2. Art and History: David Boxer PhD – National Gallery, Director Emeritus & Curator, Jamaica
    3. Museum Development & Art: Alissandra Cummings – Director of Barbados Museum & Historical Society, Bridgetown, Barbados
    4. Youth Educational Outreach: Guy Parent – Canada’s Digital Collections
    5. Political History: Prof. Franklin Knight, Johns Hopkins University
    6. Arts Education: Dr Catherine Amidon, Plymouth State College
    7. Strategic Planning: Ms Sandi Haynes, specialist in Arts Management & Diversity Training.
    8. Rachelle V. Browne, Esquire.
    9. Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, Maryland Institute College of Art Dean of Graduate Studies
    10. Dr Heather Royes, Documenter, Cultural Studies.
      11.

Regional Experts:

  1. Dr. David Boxer, Director Emeritus/ Curator National Gallery of Jamaica
  2. Michael Cook – Museum Building
  3. Petrine Archer Straw – Artist, Author
  4. Charlotte Elias – Trinidad and Tobago/Contemporary Arts Center, Director
  5. Gerald Alexis – Haiti, Museum Curator
  6. Joan Sandler – US – Romare Bearden Foundation New York
  7. Mrs. Kim Outtén-Stubbs, Bahamas Antiquities Corporation

Special Participants invited will be Caribbean Ministers of Government with Responsibility for Culture, Education & Tourism and specialist Staff.

     Executive Committee

Lucy M. Duncan, President, Museum of the Americas Foundation 
Margaret Bernal, Project Director, Caribbean Realities

Host -Committee:


Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., Mayor of Charleston, SC

Honorable James E. Clyburn – U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina

Honorable Donna Christian-Christensen – U.S. House of Representative, US Virgin Islands

Hector Alcalde  Chairman, CEO, and Founding Partner, Alcalde & Fay 

Prof. Nelson Pilosof, Chairman, World Trade Center Association Committee on Tourism and Cultural Exchange

R. Allen Stanford, Chairman, Stanford Financial Group
 

 

Photo Gallery