Turtle sculpture unveiled

Acting Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Governor Duncan Taylor unveiled a bronze sculpture in the foyer of the Government Administration Building on Monday. 

The informal ceremony was the first stage in turning the area into a gallery for displaying local art. Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly, who is Minister for District Administration Works, Lands and Agriculture, also said fixtures have been installed in corridors throughout the building for artwork to be displayed. 

The inaugural piece, by Swedish sculptor Kent Ullberg, is titled “Journey’s End”. It is 42 inches high and 30 inches wide and deep. Displayed on a plinth that raises it to eye level, it is the first thing one sees when entering the new building through the front doors. 

The sculpture, acquired locally through Guy Harvey’s Gallery, shows two turtles swimming over coral, but Mrs. O’Connor-Connolly interpreted the vertical swirl as water and said that, to her, the piece represented Cayman riding the wave of success. 

Kearney Gomez, ministry chief officer, said the turtle was once the mainstay of the Islands’ economy and is a symbol from Cayman’s coat of arms. He called the work it an appropriate anchor piece for the capitol building in Cayman’s capital. 

Those attending the brief ceremony included Richard Sanfilippo, facilities manager; Adam McLaren, building manager; and Jonathan Jackson, acting deputy chief officer.