Thousands of artefacts from the Cayman Islands National Museum collection will be displayed on rotation at a new centre in West Bay, which celebrated a grand opening on Friday, 15 Dec.
The former Cayman Islands Motor Museum at 864 North West Point Road in West Bay is now home to the Cayman Collections Centre.
According to a heritage ministry statement, “With the Cayman Islands National Museum housing a collection of nearly 12,000 artefacts, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Heritage and the Cayman Islands National Museum have collaboratively embarked on an initiative to exhibit a substantial portion of these artificers. Thus, the Cayman Collections Centre was conceived.”
During remarks at the opening ceremony on Friday, Minister for Heritage Isaac Rankine said he is extremely proud to see the Cayman Islands National Museum expanding, “and offering more opportunities for Cayman’s history and heritage to be on display for the community to discover the unique and vibrant story of the Cayman Islands.”
He thanked the staff of the Cayman Islands National Museum and the Ministry for their work on curating the exhibit.
He added, “I would like to also thank the former Minister Mr. Bernie Bush for laying the foundation for this important endeavour and for his support in ensuring the people of the Cayman Islands have access to these artefacts.”
The Ministry said the Centre, which is an extension of the National Museum, features “catboats, a hand-dug out canoe, paintings and other items that reflect Cayman’s diverse history.”
CINM Acting Director, Tunisia Barnes expressed her gratitude to the Ministry. “We are grateful to the Ministry for their help in securing this facility. Many of the artifacts have been in storage for quite some time and we excited to be able to put them on display for the public to enjoy. We invite the public to visit us here and learn more about Cayman’s heritage.”
Bush and fellow West Bay MP Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, who is minister for sustainability and climate resiliency, and a number of other MPs and government officials, as well as local agencies and youth organisations, attended the event.
Now open to the public, the Cayman Collections Centre’s operating hours will be from 10am until 4pm, Monday to Friday, Starting in January 2024, regular opening hours will be Monday–Friday, 10am to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm in the new year.
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