You have to hand it to the folks at the National Gallery of
the Cayman Islands: They are persistent.
The fruits of their persistence are now tangible after
Wednesday’s official opening of the National Gallery and Education Centre.
It’s been a long road for the National Gallery to realise
its dream of a permanent home, something that was envisioned by founding
Chairperson Carol Owen and founding Director Leslie Bigelman shortly after it
was established in 1997.
The project became a real possibility when Helen Harquail
donated four acres of land along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway.
However, getting the land donated was only part of the
challenge. Because the National Gallery’s bylaws forbid it from borrowing
money, it had to raise all of the approximate $2.5 million cost to build the
new facility before it could commence construction.
Keeping the fundraising momentum going for more than a
decade was a challenge for Ms Bigelman and her predecessors, Nancy Barnard and
now Natalie Urquhart. Thanks to their persistence, and to that of the small but
dedicated National Gallery staff, construction of new building started last
January, and now the dream is a reality.
Of course, it’s been the donations of many businesses and
individuals that have paid for the new building, which stands as a grand
monument to the generosity and good corporate citizenship of the Cayman
Islands’ community.
As a result, Grand Cayman has a facility that will give
residents and visitors a modern and attractive place to view visual art while
at the same time giving local artists a purpose-built place to exhibit their
work. In addition, the new facility will allow the National Gallery to more
effectively pursue the educational aspects of its mandate and to provide an
attractive venue for a variety of functions for use by the entire community.
The new National Gallery and Education Centre is a major
accomplishment and a wonderful addition to the Cayman Islands’ cultural
infrastructure. We congratulate everyone involved in the project, past and
present, for job very well done!
Related Videos
